The Hope
by Bale Chire
Summary: My version of the overly done Reading the HP series. Harry, the Weasleys, Minerva, Remus, Tonks, Mad Eye, Kingsley, Albus, Sirius, Fleur, Hermione and Snape are transported into a room where they'd have to read 'The Deathly Hallows' in order to makae a better future, blah blah. Better than it sounds. Slash and some canon pairings. OOCness.
1. It All Begins

A/N: So this is OOC, like really REALLY OOC. Flames won't be accepted, okay? If you don't like the pairings, sorry. There'll be SLASH, so get over it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, only the overly used idea and poor plot. If I did, Severus'd have NEVER DIED and would have ended with Harry or Sirius… the possibilities are infinite

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

It all happened very quickly. One moment Harry was looking at the ceiling of his room in Number 4, Privet Drive, watching in a mournful expression the dirty white on the ceiling, pretty much like the rest of the days he had been there, and the next he felt the horrible tug on his navel, transporting him to a room where more than one person was trying to figure out what the hell they were doing there.

"Ughh…" he groaned as he landed painfully on his side, his glasses flying through the air and landing in the hand of an emerald robed witch.

"Harry! Alright, mate?" he was pulled up with two persons identical to the last freckle; they were the Weasley twins, Fred and George, who were looking at Harry curiously. Harry dusted himself off and narrowed his eyes, trying to look.

"Here, Harry" said a female voice as a pair of hands places the glasses on the face of the young man. Blinking a little, Harry was greeted by Minerva McGonagall's smile. He smiled back and looked around the room. He saw, much to his surprise, the Weasley family, Hermione, Fleur, Remus, Tonks, Mad Eye and Kingsley Shacklebot.

"Where are we, Professor ? Why is everybody here?" he asked, looking at them surprise. Minerva shrugged, as she didn't knew better than the teenager. Every notice him and soon was tackled with hugs and palms on his back. He hugged Hermione and Ginny back and also Ron in a more manly way, they were like brothers to them, and he didn't knew what he would do without them. Hermione looked teary-eyed and exhausted, as if she had done a lot recently. Ron grabbed Hermione's hand and smiled at her, making everyone who noticed beam at them. They were so oblivious. They needed each other now more than ever to face the pain that came with the death of Dumbledore, which has affected them more than anyone could imagine.

Suddenly, with a bright flash, a lot of poufs and cushions appeared, along with a little table, some snacks and one book, a post it over it. Everyone grew silent as Bill approached the table. He picked the book gingerly and read the note, his eyebrows flying to his hairline at every word he read. When he finished reading, he muttered "Merlin's hairy ass!"

"What is it, Bill?" asked Fleur, looking at his boyfriend from a loveseat. Slowly everyone had taken sit, not looking away from the book in the eldest of the Weasley brother hand.

"Hear this." He said, clearing his throat.

'_Dear everyone, as crazy as this may sound we are writing this from the future, exactly from the year 2021.'_

Many gasped incredulously at that.

'_We are sending this book about Harry's last confrontation with Voldemort, in hope that we can save the many lives that we lost while battling._'

Many looked around fearfully, wondering who the one the mysterious person referred to was.

'_This book has been written with the memories of Harry. The changes that you'll made are not in this book, because we want you to know what happened before you saved the future. Some people will join you soon, and please follow this instruction. PLEASE DO NOT ATTACK ANY PERSON IN THIS ROOM. THIS PEOPLE ARE PERSONS WE TRUST ENTIERLY, AND HAVE A MAJOR ROLE IN HERE. You will stay here as long as it takes you to read this book, and don't get preoccupied, as the time stops when you enter here. Good luck and we hope you change the world for the better._

_ASSP, RW, TRL, VW, SW, OB & SHM.'_

"… Wow." Said Ron and everyone chuckled, a little shocked at the news.

"I wonder who will come" said Hermione. Charlie opened his mouth to say something but he was cut by a blue flash.

Screams and yelps were heard as Sirius Black and Albus Dumbledore appeared in front of them. They were obviously amused with the reactions they got. Minutes passed by and no one seemed ready to stop gaping at them.q It took five more minutes to Minerva to snap out of her trance.

"Albus… Albus, is it really you?" she asked, voice trembling and eyes watering. Every other woman in the room was the same. The men were trembling slightly.

"Indeed I am, Minnie." He chuckled merrily. A blur of emerald soon attacked him, almost making him fall with Minerva squeezing the daylights out of him. She embraced him tightly, sobs muffled by his robes, shedding tears since she watched him fall from the Astronomy Tower. He returned the hug with the same force, his arms around her waist and his face hidden in her thick black hair. "I missed you terribly, my love. I'm sorry I had left you like that. I love you, my dear." He whispered.

"Me too-o!" she sobbed, fisting his robes and relishing his warmth.

As the couple had their intimate moment, Harry was also clinging from Sirius, asking his godfather to forgive him, and blaming himself for his death.

"Harry! It was not your fault! You couldn't have seen it coming! I should have been more careful, and now you are stuck with your relatives. I'm sorry for not taking care of you since you were a baby… if I hadn't gone to face Pettigrew…" Sirius' face was mournful.

"All that's done is forgiven." Harry smiled sadly, wiping his and his godfather's tears. Sirius chuckled weakly, and hugged his grandson. "I love you, Siri"

"I love you too, pup." Sirius' voice cracked. With one more squeeze, he pulled from the embrace and smiled at the rest of the persons he considered a family. "Why so shocked? You look like you've seen a dead person." He joked and was slapped in the back of his head by Remus, who had teary eyes but a huge smile.

"God, even dead your jokes are the lamest." He hugged his best friend and let go so other could greet him. As soon as Minerva and Albus joined them, Minerva in Albus' arms, Harry hugged the person he considered his grandfather.

"I'm sorry, Granpa." He said. Albus looked at him, his eyes twinkling.

"I'm the one who's sorry, my grandson." He murmured as he pressed a kiss into Harry's head. Everyone looked at Harry sadly; he had lost so many loved ones….

They greeted Albus and they seated like this: Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and the twins were sitting in the poufs, while the couples (Albus and Minerva, Molly and Arthur, Remus and Tonks, Bill and Fleur) in the loveseats, and the rest in the couches. Tonks took the book from Bill and was about to open it when another flash blinded them. They froze at the sight of Severus Snape.

He looked the worst anyone could have seen him; he had his robes wrinkled, his eyes bloodshot and bags under them, his face thinner and a unhealthy white color, but anyone had time to feel sympathetic as everyone raised their wands to kill the poor bastard. The unforgivable on the tip of their tongues, Albus stood and raised a hand, obviously protecting him. Sirius stood next to Albus.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE PROTECTING THAT MURDERER! HE KILLED YOU! BLOODY DEATH EATER!" bellowed Minerva, Harry, Ron and the other shouted their protests. Severus didn't spared a glance at them, as he had his eyes fixed on Albus.

"A-Al-b-lbus…" he stuttered, not believing his eyes. His knees were trembling and a wave of remorse made him double over. The pain on his conscience made him whimper, and he clutched his middle, but he didn't stopped staring at the man in front of him. "B-but I k-k-ki-" he said.

"THAT'S RIGHT, YOU KILLED HIM AND I'LL KILL YOU!" roared Harry and he shot Severus a _Sectumsempra._ Severus didn't made an effort to dodge it. But it never hit him, as Albus casted a _Protego_ on the potions master. "WHY DON'T YOU DEFEND YOURSELF?! COWARD!"

"Harry that is enough." Said Sirius and he put a hand over Harry's shoulder.

"But-!" he exclaimed, shaken to the core that Sirius would defend the person who had killed Albus Dumbledore. Sirius shook his head and nodded to Severus, who was crying softly.

"Albus… Father… Dad…" Severus said before he launched to Albus, hugging him fiercely. Everyone thought he had meant harm but again Albus' shield protected them from the curses. At that moment he broke down, sobbing and wailing pleads for forgiveness only the former headmaster could hear. Albus has also tears in his eyes. The remorse the felt for making Severus, the person he had named as his son in all but blood pass through this. He had never wanted to make him miserable but it had been the only way.

"Severus, my Sev, please, stop apologizing, I'm the one who asked you do that. I'm the responsible for all this. Please, forgive me, my son." He soothed the man in his arms, who was whimpering and had hid his face in the crook of the older man's neck.

The others just stood there, shell-shocked at what they were watching. Harry's had was swimming with questions, but his anger had been replaced by utter confusion.

"What's going on here?!" demanded Mad Eye, red in the face from the sheer fury.

"Severus never wanted to kill me." Was Albus answer.

"WHAT?!" Molly and Minerva screeched, not believing any word.

"I made Severus kill me to keep Draco's soul untainted. I ordered something that could have been the hardest thing he had to do." He explained.

"I don't believe it." Said Charlie darkly. Hermione bit her lip and the twins looked at each other, scowls on their faces. Just like she, they were torn. Could they believe in Albus?

"It should be in the book. But you will not harm Severus, the note and I says so." He warned. Everyone gaped at him, but slowly, one by one sat, wand in their hands but not pointing at anything. Minerva looked visibly confused and angered.

"Is that what you told me that night?" she asked, still standing in front of him.

"Yes, after I told you about the curse I mentioned it to you, but I just didn't elaborate." Albus said, the twinkle dimmed by the sadness.

"Oh my God, but why didn't you told me? And all this time I thought…" Minerva was horrified, looking at Severus, who was pulling from the headmaster, realization dawning on her.

"If I did you'd have tried to stop him." Explained Albus softly. The others were dying from curiosity and confusion. "He had to do it." He repeated. Minerva looked like she was going to cry again.

"Sna- Sev… I- I…" Minerva was left speechless. She couldn't believe it. Why hadn't she seen that sooner! All the hints had been there! And her Sev… what she had done to her?

"Sev, I'm sorry I didn't-"she was cut off by Severus hugging her much like he had done with Albus. She stroked his hair tenderly, soothing him in whispers, ignoring the tears trickling down her face. "You are the bravest person I know. I'm sorry my son." She said.

"Mother… Mom…" he whispered.

"Erm… sorry but we want to know what the hell is going on here!" Charlie exclaimed, ignoring Molly's and Arthur's scolding. He crossed his arms and glared at Snape.

"You wouldn't understand, so we'll have to see if this appears in the book." Said Minerva. "Right now it would be the best if we start reading, so everyone would see what I mean." She motioned Tonks to begin as she had the book. She looked suspiciously at Severus before complying.

"Oh! Right." She said and she opened the book. "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows." Albus eyes widened. So this was really it. "Chapter one: The Dark Lord Ascending." Many gasped or flinched. The war was really coming to its end. The room was dead silent as Tonk began to read.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Soo yeahh I'm doing my version of it because that's just the way I roll. If it has a good response I'll update the fastest I can (a week or less). Review to let me know what you think of it! And don't think about complaining it's too OOC. I already said it was so deal with it.


	2. The Dark Lord Ascending

"Okay, here we go." Said Tonks, her voice wary.

**The two men appeared out of nowhere, a few yards apart in the narrow, moonlit lane. For a second they stood quite still, wands directed at each other's chests; then, recognizing each other, they stowed their wands beneath their cloaks and started walking briskly in the same direction.******

**"News?" asked the taller of the two.******

**"The best," replied Severus Snape.****  
**

Everyone except Albus, Minerva and Sirius sent a deathly glare at the black haired man between the former Headmaster and the Deputy of Hogwarts. Severus just shivered slightly.

"There's going to be a meeting three weeks from now." He muttered. Mad Eye grumbled under his breath but nodded all the same. Murderer or not, that could be useful.

******The lane was bordered on the left by wild, low-growing brambles, on the right by a high, neatly manicured hedge. The men's long cloaks flapped around their ankles as they marched.******

**"Thought I might be late," said Yaxley, his blunt features sliding in and out of sight as the branches of overhanging trees broke the moonlight. "It was a little trickier than I expected. But I hope he will be satisfied. You sound confident that your reception will be good?"****  
**

Hermione looked suspiciously at the book.

******Snape nodded, but did not elaborate. **

"What a surprise." Said Ron, glaring at Snape. Molly scowled but didn't scolded him. She was too mad with the professor to defend him.

**They turned right, into a wide driveway that led off the lane. The high hedge curved into them, running off into the distance beyond the pair of imposing wrought-iron gates barring the men's way. Neither of them broke step: In silence both raised their left arms in a kind of salute and passed straight through, as though the dark metal was smoke.****  
**

The twins and Bill low whistled, obviously impressed. Tonk's voice showed she was too.

******The yew hedges muffled the sound of the men's footsteps. There was a rustle somewhere to their right: Yaxley drew his wand again pointing it over his companion's head, but the source of the noise proved to be nothing more than a pure-white peacock, strutting majestically along the top of the hedge.****  
**

Arthur and Sirius snorted, while the youngest sniggered. Trust Malfoy to have an animal as prideful as him.

******"He always did himself well, Lucius. Peacocks ..." Yaxley thrust his wand back under his cloak with a snort.**

"You got that right." Said Harry and Ron laughed.****

**A handsome manor house grew out of the darkness at the end of the straight drive, lights glinting in the diamond paned downstairs windows. Somewhere in the dark garden beyond the hedge a fountain was playing. Gravel crackled beneath their feet as Snape and Yaxley sped toward the front door, which swung inward at their approach, though nobody had visibly opened it.******

**The hallway was large, dimly lit, and sumptuously decorated, with a magnificent carpet covering most of the stone floor. The eyes of the pale-faced portraits on the wall followed Snape and Yaxley as they strode past. The two men halted at a heavy wooden door leading into the next room, hesitated for the space of a heartbeat, then Snape turned the bronze handle.**

"Ooh, he turned the handle." Said the twins, covering their faces while their knees trembled dramatically. Remus chuckled as most of the room.

"It's a bit creepy the way it's described, you know." said Fleur for the first time. Kingsley raised an eyebrow but on the inside he agreed. He had gone to Malfoy Manor in broad daylight because of an inspection and still had that somber shadow in every corner.****

**The drawing room was full of silent people, sitting at a long and ornate table. The room's usual furniture had been pushed carelessly up against the walls. Illumination came from a roaring fire beneath a handsome marble mantelpiece surmounted by a gilded mirror. Snape and Yaxley lingered for a moment on the threshold. As their eyes grew accustomed to the lack of light, they were drawn upward to the strangest feature of the scene: an apparently unconscious human figure hanging upside down over the table, revolving slowly as if suspended by an invisible rope, and reflected in the mirror and in the bare, polished surface of the table below.**

Everyone looked a little green at this. Ginny felt the bile in her throat.

**None of the people seated underneath this singular sight were looking at it except for a pale young man sitting almost directly below it. He seemed unable to prevent himself from glancing upward every minute or so.**

"Malfoy." The students hissed.

"So little Draco finally joined Lord Voldy. Mamma must be _so_proud." Fred deadpanned. Severus fisted his hands. After all he had tried, his godson had joined the Dark side. He didn't did just enough, he thought while cursing under his breath. Minerva heard him and rubbed circles in his back, much to Harry's distress.****

**"Yaxley. Snape," said a high, clear voice from the head of the table. "You are very nearly late."******

**The speaker was seated directly in front of the fireplace, so that it was difficult, at first, for the new arrivals to make out more than his silhouette. As they drew nearer, however, his face shone through the gloom, hairless, snakelike, with slits for nostrils and gleaming red eyes whose pupils were vertical. He was so pale that he seemed to emit a pearly glow.**

Many shivered at the description, while Harry and Albus merely frowned.****

**"Severus, here," said Voldemort, indicating the seat on his immediate right.**

"You are his right hand!" Charlie and Molly shouted. Severus flinched under the hateful glances they sent his way. Sirius shook his head sadly.

He had witnessed everything that had happened to the spy while watching over Harry. At first he had been furious with him, but then he understood he never wanted to do it. When he realized all that Snape sacrificed and did for Harry and everyone else, he couldn't help but fall in love with him, ever so slowly. Not his attitude towards him before all this was a punch in the gut for him, guilt and remorse flooding through his body.

He transformed into Padfoot, and to the shock and surprise of the others, and to Albus' delight, he trotted to where Severus was and laid his head in the other man's knee. Severus looked at him with the same expression, but then he relaxed and started to caress the Grim's head.

"Don't touch him!" roared Harry and Ron and they raised their wands to Severus, who quickly recoiled in his seat, wariness and fear in his eyes. Padfoot stood and started to walk towards them, growling menacingly, the threat clear.

_Touch him and you'll regret it._

Then he returned to Severus. He whined slightly and licked Snape's hand gently, as if to encourage him to pet him. Slowly, Severus relaxed again and ran his fingers through the smooth hair of the big dog. Remus smiled and shook his head. Good for Siri.

Harry was boiling, needless to say.

**"Yaxley, sit beside Dolohov."******

**The two men took their allotted places. Most of the eyes around the table followed Snape, and it was to him that Voldemort spoke first.******

**"So?"******

**"My Lord, the Order of the Phoenix intends to move Harry Potter from his current place of safety on Saturday next, at nightfall."**

Tonks frowned at the book but continued reading. Everyone else stiffened.****

**The interest around the table sharpened palpably: Some stiffened, others fidgeted, all gazing at Snape and Voldemort.******

**"Saturday ... at nightfall," repeated Voldemort. His red eyes fastened upon Snape's black ones with such intensity that some of the watchers looked away, apparently fearful that they themselves would be scorched by the ferocity of the gaze. Snape, however, looked calmly back into Voldemort's face and, after a moment or two, Voldemort's lipless mouth curved into something like a smile.**

"'Cause I see sparks fly whenever you smile~" sang the twins, and Bill joined. Albus chuckled and Padfoot barked a laugh, while Remus and Hermione half-smiled.

"'S not funny." Severus mumbled, but without his cold or snarky tone. The twins laughed.

******"Good. Very good. And this information comes…"******

**"…from the source we discussed," said Snape.**

"I wonder what source." Hermione said thoughtfully.

"Most likely Mundungus." Mad Eye grumbled. He would have to keep an eye on Dung. He was known for only standing for himself.****

**"My Lord."******

**Yaxley had leaned forward to look down the long table at Voldemort and Snape. All faces turned to him.******

**"My Lord, I have heard differently."******

**Yaxley waited, but Voldemort did not speak, so he went on, "Dawlish, the Auror, let slip that Potter will not be moved until the thirtieth, the night before the boy turns seventeen."******

**Snape was smiling.**

"Creepy." Percy 'whispered' to Bill. Everyone but Harry, Ron, Mad Eye, Kingsley and Charlie laughed.

"Brother, we didn't knew you had it in you! Welcome to the family!" piped Fred, feigning shock.

"Oh, stuff it." Percy mock-scowled.****

**"My source told me that there are plans to lay a false trail; this must be it. No doubt a Confundus Charm has been placed upon Dawlish. It would not be the first time; he is known to be susceptible."******

**"I assure you, my Lord, Dawlish seemed quite certain," said Yaxley.******

**"If he has been Confunded, naturally he is certain," said Snape. "I assure you, Yaxley, the Auror Office will play no further part in the protection of Harry Potter. The Order believes that we have infiltrated the Ministry."******

**"The Order's got one thing right, then, eh?" said a squat man sitting a short distance from Yaxley; he gave a wheezy giggle that was echoed here and there along the table.**

"Oh Merlin!" was heard around the room. The Ministry, run by Death Eaters? The mere thought sent shivers down everyone's spine.****

**Voldemort did not laugh. His gaze had wandered upward to the body revolving slowly overhead, and he seemed to be lost in thought.******

**"My Lord," Yaxley went on, "Dawlish believes an entire party of Aurors will be used to transfer the boy…"******

**Voldemort held up a large white hand, and Yaxley subsided at once, watching resentfully as Voldemort turned back to Snape.**

"Someone is jealous." George sing sang.****

**"Where are they going to hide the boy next?"******

**"At the home of one of the Order," said Snape. "The place, according to the source, has been given every protection that the Order and Ministry together could provide. I think that there is little chance of taking him once he is there, my Lord, unless, of course, the Ministry has fallen before next Saturday, which might give us the opportunity to discover and undo enough of the enchantments to break through the rest."******

**"Well, Yaxley?" Voldemort called down the table, the firelight glinting strangely in his red eyes. "Will the Ministry have fallen by next Saturday?"******

**Once again, all heads turned. Yaxley squared his shoulders.******

**"My Lord, I have good news on that score. I have, with difficulty, and after great effort, succeeded in placing an Imperius Curse upon Pius Thicknesse."**

The ones who worked at the Ministry groaned**. **This was not good.  
**  
****Many of those sitting around Yaxley looked impressed; his neighbor, Dolohov, a man with a long, twisted face, clapped him on the back.****  
**

"Like that's something to compliment." Said Molly, shaking her head.

******"It is a start," said Voldemort. "But Thicknesse is only one man. Scrimgeour must be surrounded by our people before I act. One failed attempt on the Minister's life will set me back a long way."******

**"Yes my Lord, that is true, but you know, as Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Thicknesse has regular contact not only with the Minister himself, but also with the Heads of all the other Ministry departments. It will, I think, be easy now that we have such a high-ranking official under our control, to subjugate the others, and then they can all work together to bring Scrimgeour down."******

**"As long as our friend Thicknesse is not discovered before he has converted the rest," said Voldemort. "At any rate, it remains unlikely that the Ministry will be mine before next Saturday. If we cannot touch the boy at his destination, then it must be done while he travels."******

**"We are at an advantage there, my Lord," said Yaxley, who seemed determined to receive some portion of approval. "We now have several people planted within the Department of Magical Transport. If Potter Apparates or uses the Floo Network, we shall know immediately."**

The tension in the room doubled.****

**"He will not do either," said Snape. "The Order is eschewing any form of transport that is controlled or regulated by the Ministry; they mistrust everything to do with the place."******

**"All the better," said Voldemort. "He will have to move in the open. Easier to take, by far."******

**Again, Voldemort looked up at the slowly revolving body as he went on, "I shall attend to the boy in person. There have been too many mistakes where Harry Potter is concerned. Some of them have been my own. That Potter lives is due more to my errors than to his triumphs."**

"That's not true!" exclaimed almost everyone, even Severus was scowling at the book.

"It's because-"

"- little Harrykins here-"

"- it's brilliant!" said the twins. Harry blushed.****

**The company around the table watched Voldemort apprehensively, each of them, by his or her expression, afraid that they might be blamed for Harry Potter's continued existence. Voldemort, however, seemed to be speaking more to himself than to any of them, still addressing the unconscious body above him.******

**"I have been careless, and so have been thwarted by luck and chance, those wreckers of all but the best-laid plans. But I know better now. I understand those things that I did not understand before. I must be the one to kill Harry Potter, and I shall be."**

"Good luck with that, Voldy." Snorted Charlie.****

**At these words, seemingly in response to them, a sudden wail sounded, a terrible, drawn-out cry of misery and pain. Many of those at the table looked downward, startled, for the sound had seemed to issue from below their feet.******

**"Wormtail," **

The Trio, Remus and Padfoot growled at the traitor's name.

**said Voldemort, with no change in his quiet, thoughtful tone, and without removing his eyes from the revolving body above, "have I not spoken to you about keeping our prisoner quiet?"******

**"Yes, m-my Lord," gasped a small man halfway down the table, who had been sitting so low in his chair that it appeared, at first glance, to be unoccupied. Now he scrambled from his seat and scurried from the room, leaving nothing behind him but a curious gleam of silver.**

"Bloody hand." Muttered Harry under his breath, clearly remembering the night at the graveyard.****

**"As I was saying," continued Voldemort, looking again at the tense faces of his followers, "I understand better now. I shall need, for instance, to borrow a wand from one of you before I go to kill Potter."******

**The faces around him displayed nothing but shock; he might have announced that he wanted to borrow one of their arms.******

**"No volunteers?" said Voldemort. "Let's see ... Lucius, I see no reason for you to have a wand anymore."**

Arthut looked smug at that.****

**Lucius Malfoy looked up. His skin appeared yellowish and waxy in the firelight, and his eyes were sunken and shadowed. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse.****  
**

"Charming as always, my dear Lucy! The epitome of beautiness!" snorted Fresd and Ginny laughed, along with the others.

******"My Lord?"******

**"Your wand, Lucius. I require your wand."******

**"I ..."******

**Malfoy glanced sideways at his wife. She was staring straight ahead, quite as pale as he was, her long blonde hair hanging down her back, but beneath the table her slim fingers closed briefly on his wrist. **

All the women looked a little moved at this. Men assumed it as romance nonsense.

**At her touch, Malfoy put his hand into his robes, withdrew a wand, and passed it along to Voldemort, who held it up in front of his red eyes, examining it closely.******

**"What is it?"******

**"Elm, my Lord," whispered Malfoy.******

**"And the core?"******

**"Dragon- dragon heartstring."******

**"Good," said Voldemort. He drew out his wand and compared the lengths. Lucius Malfoy made an involuntary movement; for a fraction of a second, it seemed he expected to receive Voldemort's wand in exchange for his own. The gesture was not missed by Voldemort, whose eyes widened maliciously.******

**"Give you my wand, Lucius? My wand?"******

**Some of the throng sniggered.**

Kingsley sighed. Lucius was expecting too much.****

**"I have given you your liberty, Lucius, is that not enough for you? But I have noticed that you and your family seem less than happy of late ... What is it about my presence in your home that displaces you, Lucius?"******

**"Nothing- nothing, my Lord!"******

**"Such lies Lucius ... "******

**The soft voice seemed to hiss on even after the cruel mouth had stopped moving. One or two of the wizards barely repressed a shudder as the hissing grew louder; something heavy could be heard sliding across the floor beneath the table.**

The ones who had seen Nagini shuddered.****

**The huge snake emerged to climb slowly up Voldemort's chair. It rose, seemingly endlessly, and came to rest across Voldemort's shoulders: its neck the thickness of a man's thigh; its eyes, with their vertical slits for pupils, unblinking. **

A shudder ran through the room.

**Voldemort stroked the creature absently with long thin fingers, still looking at Lucius Malfoy.******

**"Why do the Malfoys look so unhappy with their lot? Is my return, my rise to power, not the very thing they professed to desire for so many years?"******

**"Of course, my Lord," said Lucius Malfoy. His hand shook as he wiped sweat from his upper lip. **

Ginny sneered.

**"We did desire it- we do."******

**To Malfoy's left, his wife made an odd, stiff nod, her eyes averted from Voldemort and the snake. To his right, his son, Draco, who had been gazing up at the inert body overhead, glanced quickly at Voldemort and away again, terrified to make eye contact.**

Harry couldn't help but feel a little sympathetic for him.****

**"My Lord," said a dark woman halfway down the table, her voice constricted with emotion, "it is an honor to have you here, in our family's house. There can be no higher pleasure."**

"That bitch!" Exclaimed Sirius, who had transformed and Harry, glaring furiously at the book. Sirius transformed again and snuggled into Severus lap, seeking comfort, which Severus readily gave him.****

**She sat beside her sister, as unlike her in looks, with her dark hair and heavily lidded eyes, as she was in bearing and demeanor; where Narcissa sat rigid and impassive, Bellatrix leaned toward Voldemort, for mere words could not demonstrate her longing for closeness.****  
**

"To snake-face? Eww!" Fleur exclaimed, surprising everyone.

******"No higher pleasure," repeated Voldemort, his head tilted a little to one side as he considered Bellatrix. "That means a great deal, Bellatrix, from you."******

**Her face flooded with color; her eyes welled with tears of delight.**

"Oh my God, such a stupid woman." Hermione mumbled under his breath. Tonks' voice was strained, a clear sign that she was obviously displeased to read about her crazy aunt.****

**"My Lord knows I speak nothing but the truth!"******

**"No higher pleasure ... even compared with the happy event that, I hear, has taken place in your family this week?"****  
**

Everyone leaned, curious.

******She stared at him, her lips parted, evidently confused.******

**"I don't know what you mean, my Lord."******

**"I'm talking about your niece, Bellatrix. And yours, Lucius and Narcissa. She has just married the werewolf, Remus Lupin. You must be so proud."**

Silence filled the room. Then…**  
**

"Weare really getting married!" shouted Tonks as her hair tuned a dazzling yellow and she jumped to where Remus was, which was at her side to she landed on his lap quite heavily. "We are getting married, honey!" she said before kissing his soundly, much to the amusement of the others.

"We are!" Remus beamed and hugged her tightly. "I love you, my darling." He murmured. Tonks only snuggled closer, crying too much to speak. After everyone voice their congratulations (or in Sirius' case, barked his), everyone sobered up and waited for Tonks to continue.

******There was an eruption of jeering laughter from around the table. Many leaned forward to exchange gleeful looks; a few thumped the table with their fists. The giant snake, disliking the disturbance, opened its mouth wide and hissed angrily, but the Death Eaters did not hear it, so jubilant were they at Bellatrix and the Malfoys' humiliation. Bellatrix's face, so recently flushed with happiness, had turned an ugly, blotchy red.**

Tonks smirked at her aunt's discomfort.****

**"She is no niece of ours, my Lord," **

"How dare she!" many cried, outraged. Tonks smiled. Move by their care.

"It's okay, it's better for me, really" she said. Slightly mollified, everyone fell silent.

**she cried over the outpouring of mirth. "We- Narcissa and I- have never set eyes on our sister since she married the Mudblood.**

Severus hissed venomously at the word. He hated that word, as it had destroyed the only thing good he had had in his life. Sirius must have figured what was he thinking, because he nudged him with his nose, trying to cheer him up.

**This brat has nothing to do with either of us, nor any beast she marries."****  
**

Everyone's face was positively murderous by now.

"If I ever lay hands on her…" Moody threatened. No one dared to talk about Muggleborns and hybrids, less if it was about his favorite apprentice. Tonks smiled at him.

******"What say you, Draco?" asked Voldemort, and though his voice was quiet, it carried clearly through the catcalls and jeers. "Will you babysit the cubs?"******

**The hilarity mounted; Draco Malfoy looked in terror at his father, who was staring down into his own lap, then caught his mother's eye. She shook her head almost imperceptibly, then resumed her own deadpan stare at the opposite wall.******

**"Enough," said Voldemort, stroking the angry snake. "Enough."******

**And the laughter died at once.**

"Just like Professor McGonagall and Snape" joked Bill.****

**"Many of our oldest family trees become a little diseased over time," he said as Bellatrix gazed at him, breathless and imploring, "You must prune yours, must you not, to keep it healthy? Cut away those parts that threaten the health of the rest."******

**"Yes, my Lord," whispered Bellatrix, and her eyes swam with tears of gratitude again. "At the first chance!"******

**"You shall have it," said Voldemort. "And in your family, so in the world ... we shall cut away the cancer that infects us until only those of the true blood remain ..."******

**Voldemort raised Lucius Malfoy's wand, pointed it directly at the slowly revolving figure suspended over the table, and gave it a tiny flick. The figure came to life with a groan and began to struggle against invisible bonds.******

**"Do you recognize our guest, Severus?" asked Voldemort.****  
**

Everyone looked at the pale man now. Worry visible on his face. He started to pet Padfoot more.

******Snape raised his eyes to the upside down face. All of the Death Eaters were looking up at the captive now, as though they had been given permission to show curiosity. As she revolved to face the firelight, the woman said in a cracked and terrified voice, "Severus! Help me!"**

Severus started to tremble. Minerva tried to calm him down, rubbing circles in his back, but it didn't helped much.****

**"Ah, yes," said Snape as the prisoner turned slowly away again.******

**"And you, Draco?" asked Voldemort, stroking the snake's snout with his wand-free hand. Draco shook his head jerkily. Now that the woman had woken, he seemed unable to look at her anymore.******

**"But you would not have taken her classes," said Voldemort. "For those of you who do not know, we are joined here tonight by Charity Burbage who, until recently, taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."****  
**

"NO!" shouted the students, Minerva and Severus, who was shaking like a leaf in his seat. Neither Dumbledore nor Minerva could calm him down.

******There were small noises of comprehension around the table. A broad, hunched woman with pointed teeth cackled.******

**"Yes ... Professor Burbage taught the children of witches and wizards all about Muggles ... how they are not so different from us ..."******

**One of the Death Eaters spat on the floor. Charity Burbage revolved to face Snape again.******

**"Severus ... please ... please ..."**

Sirius transformed again, and scooped Severus in his arms, whispering soothing words to him, rubbing his arms and rocking his gently in his seat. Minerva and Albus moved from the loveseat to another one, leaving the two men alone.

No one could stop feeling bad for Severus. Even for him it was too much to cope.

Severus was now trembling slightly in Sirius' arms, his face hidden in the crook of the animagus' neck.****

**"Silence," said Voldemort, with another twitch of Malfoy's wand, and Charity fell silent as if gagged. "Not content with corrupting and polluting the minds of Wizarding children, last week Professor Burbage wrote an impassioned defense of Mudbloods in the Daily Prophet. Wizards, she says, must accept these thieves of their knowledge and magic. The dwindling of the purebloods is, says Professor Burbage, a most desirable circumstance ... She would have us all mate with Muggles ... or, no doubt, werewolves ..."**

******Nobody laughed this time. There was no mistaking the anger and contempt in Voldemort's voice. For the third time, Charity Burbage revolved to face Snape. Tears were pouring from her eyes into her hair. Snape looked back at her, quite impassive, as she turned slowly away from him again.******

**"Avada Kedavra"****  
**

The women started sobbing quietly while the men bowed their head in respect. Charity was an extraordinary person, and knowing this was her fate was terrible.

"But this book had been sent to us to change the future. We'll make sure no one dies."

******The flash of green light illuminated every corner of the room. Charity fell, with a resounding crash, onto the table below, which trembled and creaked. Several of the Death Eaters leapt back in their chairs. Draco fell out of his onto the floor.**

Ron laughed very weakly.

******"Dinner, Nagini," said Voldemort softly, and the great snake swayed and slithered from his shoulders onto the polished wood.**

"That's the end of the chapter." Said Tonks visibly shaken. Ginny and Hermione had left to probably empty their stomachs.

"Let's have a moment to let all this sink in, okay? Then we'll resume our reading." Albus said. Everyone nodded and stood. They had a lot of thinking to do.

-o-o-o-o-o-

So here it is! Second chapter, yay! I wasn't sure about updating because of the minimal amount of reviews (especial thanks to yngoldfogee and MusicalLover17 for the lovely reviews!) but the number of favs (24, woot!) made me do it. Let me know what you think of this by sending a review, okay?

Oh, and yeah, this will have Sirius/Severus, because I love them. I want to have another pairings but I don't know which. I won't put Harry and Ginny together because… ew, just don't. You can help me by PMing me or reviewing! Thanks a lot! Kisses~


	3. In Memoriam

Soon everyone was talking in groups. Charlie, Percy and the twins where whispering to each other frantically, eyes darting to the others every now and then. Fleur, Tonks, Minerva and Molly were talking about wedding plans and the dresses, while their men looked at them between amusement and wariness. Remus and Bill gulped when they heard the sentence "shopping with the grooms". Arthur and Albus were relieved they had passed through that a long time ago, as they chatted about the Ministry with Mad Eye and Kingsley, especially about Scrigmeour and Pius.

As soon as Hermione and Ginny came back, Harry and Ron dragged them to a corner.

"What do you think about, you know- Snape?" Ron whispered.

"Dumbledore said Professor Snape never wanted to k-kill him." Said Ginny slowly, the words of the deceased Headmaster making more sense now.

"Yeah, and besides, did you see Snape's reaction when he saw Dumbledore? Even a spy like him couldn't have faked such a strong emotion as remorse. I think he really meant it." Hermione commented, her brow furrowed. Harry shook his head stubbornly.

"But he still killed Dumbledore. I mean-" he said adamantly, he just couldn't forgive Snape, but even to him his words didn't make sense.

"Mate, I think Herms and Ginny are right." Harry looked at Ron in disbelief. "I mean, if he hadn't been regretful about what happened in the Astronomy tower, he would most likely try to attack us. He looked terrible, you know." Ron said.

Harry didn't say anything. He just sighed and looked at Sirius and Severus.

Sirius was sitting next to Severus in a loveseat, quietly talking between them, or what seemed most likely, Sirius apologizing to Severus. The spy had his face covered by his black hair, fingers fiddling with the hem of his robe. When Sirius said something, Severus jumped slightly and shook his head. Then Sirius took his (Severus') hands and pulled them to his chest talking solemnly. Hermione and Ginny cooed at the blush that Severus was sporting, and when Sirius brought the other man to his chest Hermione looked giddy.

"They look so cute!" squealed Ginny, joining her hands with Hermione, who was nodding and smiling. Ron and Harry looked at each other and then shrugged. Women.

"Could you please take your seats? I think it's time to continue reading. Who volunteers?" he asked, the book on his hand.

Then room was silent before Charlie raised his hand. "I will." As soon as he sat again he started reading. "Chapter two: I Memoriam." Harry frowned.

**Harry was bleeding. **

"What a surprise." Snorted Ginny. Harry exclaimed offended. "Oh come on, Harry, we all know you bleed more than it should be considered normal." Ron and Hermione chuckled.

**Clutching his right hand in his left and swearing under his breath,**

"Harry! You shouldn't curse!" surprisingly Fleur was the one who said it.

"Yeah, Harry, we wouldn't like you to be tainted with such horrible words!" cried George exaggeratedly, 'fainting' in his twin's arms.

**he shouldered open his bedroom door. There was a crunch of breaking china. He had trodden on a cup of cold tea that had been sitting on the floor outside his bedroom door.****"What the-?"****He looked around, the landing of number four, Privet Drive, was deserted. Possibly the cup of tea was Dudley's idea of a clever booby trap. **

All the students snorted. Dudley? Clever? Pff, yeah right.

**Keeping his bleeding hand elevated, Harry scraped the fragments of cup together with the other hand and threw them into the already crammed bin just visible inside his bedroom door. Then he tramped across to the bathroom to run his finger under the tap.****It was stupid, pointless, irritating beyond belief that he still had four days left of being unable to perform magic...but he had to admit to himself that this jagged cut in his finger would have defeated him. **

"Amazing. The darkest of lords Britain had ever seen could not defeat Harry but a paper cut can be the key to his demise." Muttered Percy, making them laugh.

**He had never learned how to repair wounds, and now he came to think of it- particularly in light of his immediate plans- this seemed a serious flaw in his magical education. Making a mental note to ask Hermione how it was done,**

"Now that's unusual!" said Hermione sarcastically, making Ginny snort.

**he used a large wad of toilet paper to mop up as much of the tea as he could before returning to his bedroom and slamming the door behind him.****  
**

"Temper, temper, Harrykins." Mock-scolded Fred. Harry blushed.

**Harry had spent the morning completely emptying his school trunk for the first time since he had packed it six years ago. **

"Eww… that's not hygienic." Said Minerva, wrinkling her nose.

**At the start of the intervening school years, he had merely skimmed off the topmost three quarters of the contents and replaced or updated them, leaving a layer of general debris at the bottom- old quills, desiccated beetle eyes, single socks that no longer fit. Minutes previously, Harry had plunged his hand into this mulch, experienced a stabbing pain in the fourth finger of his right hand, and withdrawn it to see a lot of blood.****He now proceeded a little more cautiously. Kneeling down beside the trunk again, he groped around in the bottom and, after retrieving an old badge that flickered feebly between SUPPORT CEDRIC DIGGORY and POTTER STINKS,**

"You still have that?" asked Ron incredulously.

**a cracked and worn-out Sneakoscope, and a gold locket inside which a note signed R.A.B. had been hidden, he finally discovered the sharp edge that had done the damage. He recognized it at once. It was a two-inch-long fragment of the enchanted mirror that his dead godfather, Sirius, had given him. **

Sirius smiled sadly at Harry. "Remember those nights when we would talk before you went to sleep?" he asked and Harry nodded, smiling at the precious memory. Severus rubbed Sirius' shoulders at sensing him distressed.

**Harry laid it aside and felt cautiously around the trunk for the rest, but nothing more remained of his godfather's last gift except powdered glass, which clung to the deepest layer of debris like glittering grit.**

Harry frowned, upset with himself at how careless he had been with that precious gift.**Harry sat up and examined the jagged piece on which he had cut himself, seeing nothing but his own bright green eye reflected back at him. **

'_Lily'_ was the thought that crossed the elders' minds.

**Then he placed the fragment on top of that morning's Daily prophet, which lay unread on the bed, and attempted to stem the sudden upsurge of bitter memories, the stabs of regret and of longing the discovery of the broken mirror had occasioned, by attacking the rest of the rubbish in the trunk.****It took another hour to empty it completely, throw away the useless items, and sort the remainder in piles according to whether or not he would need them from now on. His school and Quidditch robes, cauldron, parchment, quills, and most of his textbooks were piled in a corner, to be left behind. **

"Harry James Potter, don't you even dare to ditch school!" warned Molly and Remus, glaring at the book. Harry paled.

**He wondered what his aunt and uncle would do with them; burn them in the dead of night, probably, as if they were evidence of some dreadful crime. His Muggle clothing, Invisibility Cloak, potion-making kit, certain books, the photograph album Hagrid had once given him, a stack of letters, and his wand had been repacked into an old rucksack. In a front pocket were the Marauder's Map and the locket with the note signed R.A.B. inside it. The locket was accorded this place of honor not because it was valuable- in all usual senses it was worthless- but because of what it had cost to attain it.****This left a sizable stack of newspapers sitting on his desk beside his snowy owl, Hedwig: one for each of the days Harry had spent at Privet Drive this summer.****He got up off the floor, stretched, and moved across to his desk. Hedwig made no movement as he began to flick through newspapers, throwing them into the rubbish pile one by one. The owl was asleep or else faking; she was angry with Harry about the limited amount of time she was allowed out of her cage at the moment.**

"Poor Hedwig." Said Bill, sympathetically.**As he neared the bottom of the pile of newspapers, Harry slowed down, searching for one particular issue that he knew had arrived shortly after he had returned to Privet Drive for the summer; he remembered that there had been a small mention on the front about the resignation of Charity Burbage, the Muggle Studies teacher at Hogwarts. **

Everyone bowed in respect. They would make everything in their hands to make sure no one died.

**At last he found it. Turning to page ten, he sank into his desk chair and reread the article he had been looking for.**_**ALBUS DUMBLEDORE REMEMBERED**__**By Elphias Doge**__**  
**_

"Elphias, my friend." Said Albus fondly.

_**I met Albus Dumbledore at the age of eleven, on our first day at Hogwarts. Our mutual attraction was undoubtedly due to the fact that we both felt ourselves to be outsiders.**_

Albus chuckled. Indeed he had.

_**I had contracted dragon pox shortly before arriving at school, and while I was no longer contagious, my pock-marked visage and greenish hue did not encourage many to approach me. For his part, Albus had arrived at Hogwarts under the burden of unwanted notoriety. Scarcely a year previously, his father, Percival, had been convicted of a savage and well-publicized attack upon three young Muggles.**_

Silence met that revelation, and Albus was grateful for that._**Albus never attempted to deny that his father (who was to die in Azkaban) had committed this crime; on the contrary, when I plucked up courage to ask him, he assured me that he knew his father to be guilty. Beyond that, Dumbledore refused to speak of the sad business, though many attempted to make him do so. Some, indeed, were disposed to praise his father's action and assumed that Albus too was a Muggle-hater. They could not have been more mistaken: As anybody who knew Albus would attest, he never revealed the remotest anti-Muggle tendency. Indeed, his determined support for Muggle rights gained him many enemies in subsequent years.**__**In a matter of months, however, Albus's own fame had begun to eclipse that of his father. By the end of his first year he would never again be known as the son of a Muggle-hater, but as nothing more or less than the most brilliant student ever seen at the school. Those of us who were privileged to be his friends benefited from his example, not to mention his help and encouragement, with which he was always generous. He confessed to me later in life that he knew even then that his greatest pleasure lay in teaching.**__**He not only won every prize of note that the school offered,**_

Bill, Charlie and Percy low whistled.

_**he was soon in regular correspondence with the most notable magical names of the day, including Nicolas Flamel, the celebrated alchemist; Bathilda Bagshot, the noted historian; and Adalbert Waffling, the magical theoretician. Several of his papers found their way into learned publications such as Transfiguration Today, Challenges in Charming, and The Practical Potioneer. Dumbledore's future career seemed likely to be meteoric, and the only question that remained was when he would become Minister of Magic. Though it was often predicted in later years that he was on the point of taking the job, however, he never had Ministerial ambitions.**__**Three years after we had started at Hogwarts, Albus's brother, Aberforth, arrived at school. They were not alike: Aberforth was never bookish and, unlike Albus, preferred to settle arguments by dueling rather than through reasoned discussion. However, it is quite wrong to suggest, as some have, that the brothers were not friends. They rubbed along as comfortably as two such different boys could do. In fairness to Aberforth, it must be admitted that living in Albus's shadow cannot have been an altogether comfortable experience. Being continually outshone was an occupational hazard of being his friend and cannot have been any more pleasurable as a brother. When Albus and I left Hogwarts we intended to take the then-traditional tour of the world together, visiting and observing foreign wizards, before pursuing our separate careers.**_

The Trio sighed dreamily. That was theey wanted to do after the war ended.

_**However, tragedy intervened. On the very eve of our trip, Albus's mother, Kendra, died, leaving Albus the head, and sole breadwinner, of the family. I postponed my departure long enough to pay my respects at Kendra's funeral, then left for what was now to be a solitary journey. With a younger brother and sister to care for, and little gold left to them, there could no longer be any question of Albus accompanying me.**_

Ron winced slightly. A journey without his best mate would suck royally.

_**That was the period of our lives when we had least contact. I wrote to Albus, describing, perhaps insensitively, the wonders of my journey, from narrow escapes from chimaeras in Greece to the experiments of the Egyptian alchemists. His letters told me little of his day-to-day life, which I guessed to be frustratingly dull for such a brilliant wizard. Immersed in my own experiences, it was with horror that I heard, toward the end of my year's travels, that another tragedy had struck the Dumbledores: the death of his sister, Ariana.**_

Albus consciously looked at his fingers while everyone looked at him pityingly.

_**Though Ariana had been in poor health for a long time, the blow, coming so soon after the loss of their mother, had a profound effect on both of her brothers. All those closest to Albus- and I count myself one of that lucky number- agree that Ariana's death, and Albus's feeling of personal responsibility for it (though, of course, he was guiltless), left their mark upon him forevermore.**__**I returned home to find a young man who had experienced a much older person's suffering. Albus was more reserved than before, and much less light-hearted. To add to his misery, the loss of Ariana had led, not to a renewed closeness between Albus and Aberforth, but to an estrangement. (In time this would lif- in later years they reestablished, if not a close relationship, then certainly a cordial one.) However, he rarely spoke of his parents or of Ariana from then on, and his friends learned not to mention them.**__**Other quills will describe the triumphs of the following years. Dumbledore's innumerable contributions to the store of Wizarding knowledge, including his discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, will benefit generations to come, as will the wisdom he displayed in the many judgments while Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. They say, still, that no Wizarding duel ever matched that between Dumbledore and Grindelwald in 1945.**_

Minerva still remembered that day. She was in Hogwarts, studing because her apprenticeship when a much younger Slughorn came running to the Great Hall yelling 'Dumbledore did it! He did it! Grindelwald lost!'.

_** Those who witnessed it have written of the terror and the awe they felt as they watched these two extraordinary wizards to battle. Dumbledore's triumph, and its consequences for the Wizarding world, are considered a turning point in magical history to match the introduction of the International Statute of Secrecy or the downfall of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.**__**Albus Dumbledore was never proud or vain; he could find something to value in anyone, however apparently insignificant or wretched, and I believe that his early losses endowed him with great humanity and sympathy. I shall miss his friendship more than I can say, but my loss is nothing compared to the Wizarding world's. That he was the most inspiring and best loved of all Hogwarts headmasters cannot be in question. He died as he lived: working always for the greater good and, to his last hour, as willing to stretch out a hand to a small boy with dragon pox as he was on the day I met him.**_

Albus discretely wiped his eyes with his sleeve and smiled genially at the word of what he considered his best friend._**  
**_**  
****Harry finished reading, but continued to gaze at the picture accompanying the obituary. Dumbledore was wearing his familiar, kindly smile, but as he peered over the top of his half-moon spectacles, he gave the impression, even in newsprint, of X-raying Harry, whose sadness mingled with a sense of humiliation.****He had thought he knew Dumbledore quite well, but ever since reading this obituary he had been forced to recognize that he had barely known him at all. Never once had he imagined Dumbledore's childhood or youth; it was as though he had sprung into being as Harry had known him, venerable and silver-haired and old. The idea of a teenage Dumbledore was simply odd, like trying to imagine a stupid Hermione or a friendly Blast-Ended Skrewt.**

Everyone laughed at the vision, except Hermione, who huffed at Harry.

**He had never thought to ask Dumbledore about his past. No doubt it would have felt strange, impertinent even, but after all it had been common knowledge that Dumbledore had taken part in that legendary duel with Grindelwald, and Harry had not thought to ask Dumbledore what that had been like, nor about any of his other famous achievements. No, they had always discussed Harry, Harry's past, Harry's future, Harry's plans... and it seemed to Harry now, despite the fact that his future was so dangerous and so uncertain, that he had missed irreplaceable opportunities when he had failed to ask Dumbledore more about himself, even though the only personal question he had ever asked his headmaster was also the only one he suspected that Dumbledore had not answered honestly:**

**"What do you see when you look in the mirror?"**

**"I? I see myself holding a pair of thick, woolen socks."****  
**

"I much appreciate the woolen socks you gave me last year for my birthday." Said Albus to the students, Severus and Minerva, who smiled at him.

**After several minutes' thought, Harry tore the obituary out of the Prophet, folded it carefully, and tucked it inside the first volume of Practical Defensive Magic and its Use against the Dark Arts. Then he threw the rest of the newspaper onto the rubbish pile and turned to face the room. It was much tidier. The only things left out of place were today's Daily Prophet, still lying on the bed, and on top of it, the piece of broken mirror.****Harry moved across the room, slid the mirror fragment off today's Prophet, and unfolded the newspaper.**

** He had merely glanced at the headline when he had taken the rolled-up paper from the delivery owl early that morning and thrown it aside, after noting that it said nothing about Voldemort. Harry was sure that the Ministry was leaning on the Prophet to suppress news about Voldemort. It was only now, therefore, that he saw what he had missed.****Across the bottom half of the front page a smaller headline was set over a picture of Dumbledore striding along, looking harried:**

_**DUMBLEDORE- THE TRUTH AT LAST?**_**  
**

Many growled at the title.

**Coming next week, the shocking story of the flawed genius considered by many to be the greatest wizard of his generation. Striping away the popular image of serene, silver-bearded wisdom, Rita Skeeter**

"Bitch." Said the Trio and Ginny.

"Boys! Girls!" exclaimed Molly outraged.

**reveals the disturbed childhood, the lawless youth, the life-long feuds, and the guilty secrets that Dumbledore carried to his grave, WHY was the man tipped to be the Minister of Magic content to remain a mere headmaster? WHAT was the real purpose of the secret organization known as the Order of the Phoenix? HOW did Dumbledore really meet his end?**

"How dare she?! That blasted woman, I ought to-" ranted Minerva until Albus pulled her to her seat again.  
**  
****The answers to these and many more questions are explored in the explosive new biography, The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore, by Rita Skeeter, exclusively interviewed by Berry Braithwaite, page 13, inside.**

**Harry ripped open the paper and found page thirteen.**

"What has the poor newspaper ever done to you?" asked Bill amused and Harry stuck his tongue out.

**The article was topped with a picture showing another familiar face: a woman wearing jeweled glasses with elaborately curled blonde hair, her teeth bared in what was clearly supposed to be a winning smile, wiggling her fingers up at him. Doing his best to ignore this nauseating image, Harry read on.**

"You do that, Harry." Encouraged Tonks.

**In person, Rita Skeeter is much warmer and softer than her famously ferocious quill-portraits might suggest. Greeting me in the hallway of her cozy home, she leads me straight into the kitchen for a cup of tea, a slice of pound cake and, it goes without saying, a steaming vat of freshest gossip.**

**"Well, of course, Dumbledore is a biographer's dream," says Skeeter. "Such a long, full life. I'm sure my book will be the first of very, very many."**

**Skeeter was certainly quick off the mark. Her nine-hundred-page book was completed in a mere four weeks after Dumbledore's mysterious death in June. I ask her how she managed this superfast feat.**

**"Oh, when you've been a journalist as long as I have, working to a deadline is second nature. I knew that the Wizarding world was clamoring for the full story and I wanted to be the first to meet that need."**

**I mention the recent, widely publicized remarks of Elphias Doge, Special Advisor to the Wizengamot and longstanding friend of Albus Dumbledore's, that "Skeeter's book contains less fact than a Chocolate Frog card."**

**Skeeter throws back her head and laughs.**

Hermione sneered. Skeeter was surely the most disgusting woman ever.

**"Darling Dodgy! I remember interviewing him a few years back about merpeople rights, bless him. Completely gaga, seemed to think we were sitting at the bottom of Lake Windermere, kept telling me to watch out for trout."**

**"****And yet Elphias Doge's accusations of inaccuracy have been echoed in many places. Does Skeeter really feel that four short weeks have been enough to gain a full picture of Dumbledore's long and extraordinary life?**

**"Oh, my dear," beams Skeeter, rapping me affectionately across the knuckles, "you know as well as I do how much information can be generated by a fat bag of Galleons, a refusal to hear the word 'no,' and a nice sharp Quick-Quotes Quill! People were queuing to dish the dirt on Dumbledore anyway. Not everyone thought he was so wonderful, you know ¨-he trod on an awful lot of important toes. But old Dodgy Doge can get off his high hippogriff, because I've had access to a source most journalists would swap their wands for, one who has never spoken in public before and who was close to Dumbledore during the most turbulent and disturbing phase of his youth."**

**The advance publicity for Skeeter's biography has certainly suggested that there will be shocks in store for those who believe Dumbledore to have led a blameless life. What were the biggest surprises she uncovered, I ask?**

**"Now, come off it. Betty, I'm not giving away all the highlights before anybody's bought the book!" laughs Skeeter. "But I can promise that anybody who still thinks Dumbledore was white as his beard is in for a rude awakening! Let's just say that nobody hearing him rage against You-Know-Who would have dreamed that he dabbled in the Dark Arts himself in his youth! And for a wizard who spent his later years pleading for tolerance, he wasn't exactly broad-minded when he was younger! Yes, Albus Dumbledore had an extremely murky past, not to mention that very fishy family, which he worked so hard to keep hushed up."**

**I ask whether Skeeter is referring to Dumbledore's brother, Aberforth, whose conviction by the Wizengamot for misuse of magic caused a minor scandal fifteen years ago.**

**"Oh, Aberforth is just the tip of the dung heap," laughs Skeeter. "No, no, I'm talking about much worse than a brother with a fondness for fiddling about with goats, worse even than the Muggle-maiming father- Dumbledore couldn't keep either of them quiet anyway, they were both charged by the Wizengamot. No, it's the mother and the sister that intrigued me, and a little digging uncovered a positive nest of nastiness- but, as I say, you'll have to wait for chapters nine to twelve for full details. All I can say now is, it's no wonder Dumbledore never talked about how his nose got broken."**

**Family skeletons notwithstanding, does Skeeter deny the brilliance that led to Dumbledore's many magical discoveries?**

**"He had brains," she concedes, "although many now question whether he could really take full credit for all of his supposed achievements.**

"Dumbledore has more brains than you could ever hope to have" said Sirius. The twins heartily agreed.

**As I reveal in chapter sixteen, Ivor Dillonsby claims he had already discovered eight uses of dragon's blood when Dumbledore 'borrowed' his papers."**

**"**They are just lies. Do not take importance on them." Albus said.

**But the importance of some of Dumbledore's achievements cannot, I venture, be denied. What of his famous defeat of Grindelwald?**

**"Oh, now, I'm glad you mentioned Grindelwald," says Skeeter with such a tantalizing smile. "I'm afraid those who go dewy-eyed over Dumbledore's spectacular victory must brace themselves for a bombshell- or perhaps a Dungbomb. Very dirty business indeed. All I'll say is, don't be so sure that there really was a spectacular duel of legend. After they've read my book, people may be forced to conclude that Grindelwald simply conjured a white handkerchief from the end of his wand and came quietly!"**

Kingsley set his jaw firmly. He would not accept this behavior from a 'reporter'.

**Skeeter refuses to give any more away on this intriguing subject, so we turn instead to the relationship that will undoubtedly fascinate her readers more than any other.**

**"Oh yes," says Skeeter, nodding briskly, "I devote an entire chapter to the whole Potter-Dumbledore relationship. It's been called unhealthy, even sinister. **

"I'm going to kill that woman!" bellowed Minerva as she began pacing, magic swirling around her. No one oposed her, not even Molly, who was red in the face from sheer fury.

**Again, your readers will have to buy my book for the whole story, but there is no question that Dumbledore took an unnatural interest in Potter from the word go. Whether that was really in the boy's best interests ¨- well, we'll see. It's certainly an open secret that Potter has had a most troubled adolescence."**

**I ask whether Skeeter is still in touch with Harry Potter, whom she so famously interviewed last year: a breakthrough piece in which Potter spoke exclusively of his conviction that You-Know-Who had returned.**

**"Oh, yes, we've developed a closer bond," says Skeeter.**

Ron and the twins burst out laughing.

** "Poor Potter has few real friends, and we met at one of the most testing moments of his life- the Triwizard Tournament. I am probably one of the only people alive who can say that they know the real Harry Potter."**

"You'd wish." muttered Tonks as shee rested her head on Remus' shoulder.

**Which leads us neatly to the many rumors still circulating about Dumbledore's final hours. Does Skeeter believe that Potter was there when Dumbledore died?**

**"Well, I don't want to say too much- it's all in the book- but eyewitnesses inside Hogwarts castle saw Potter running away from the scene moments after Dumbledore fell, jumped, or was pushed. Potter later gave evidence against Severus Snape, a man against whom he has a notorious grudge. Is everything as it seems? That is for the Wizarding community to decide- once they've read my book."**

**On that intriguing note, I take my leave. There can be no doubt that Skeeter has quilled an instant bestseller. Dumbledore's legion of admirers, meanwhile, may well be trembling at what is soon to emerge about their hero.**

By now everyone was fuming. Remus' eyes had a golden hue and Mad Eye's magical eye was rolling furiously.

**Harry reached the bottom of the article, but continued to stare blankly at the page. Revulsion and fury rose in him like vomit; he balled up the newspaper and threw it, with all his force, at the wall, where it joined the rest of the rubbish heaped around his overflowing bin.**

**He began to stride blindly around the room, opening empty drawers and picking up books only to replace them on the same piles, barely conscious of what he was doing, as random phrases from Rita's article echoed in his head: An entire chapter to the whole Potter-Dumbledore relationship... It's been called unhealthy, even sinister... He dabbled in the Dark Arts himself in his youth... I've had access to a source most journalists would swap their wands for...**

**"Lies!" Harry bellowed, and through the window he saw the next-door neighbor, who had paused to restart his lawn mower, look up nervously.**

The twins sniggered.

"The famous Evans temper." said Severus so quiet that only Sirius could hear him. He chuckles, agreeing wholeheartedly.  
**  
****Harry sat down hard on the bed. The broken bit of mirror danced away from him; he picked it up and turned it over in his fingers, thinking, thinking of Dumbledore and the lies with which Rita Skeeter was defaming him...**

**A flash of brightest blue.**

Ron looked confused.

**Harry froze, his cut finger slipping on the jagged edge of the mirror again. He had imagined it, he must have done. He glanced over his shoulder, but the wall was a sickly peach color of Aunt Petunia's choosing: There was nothing blue there for the mirror to reflect. He peered into the mirror fragment again, and saw nothing but his own bright green eye looking back at him.****He had imagined it, there was no other explanation; imagined it, because he had been thinking of his dead headmaster.**

** If anything was certain, it was that the bright blue eyes of Albus Dumbledore would never pierce him again.**

"That's the end of the chapter." Said Charlie, sadly, remembering when he had reached to that conclusion a week ago. Harry looked sadly at his honorary grandfather, whose eyes lacked of the usual twinkle.

"I would like to read next." Said Fleur kindly. Charlie passed the book and soon Fleur's accented voice filled everyone's ears.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Hello! I'm back! It's been a couple of hours and I pushed myself to do it because I simply loved the response the second chapter had. As for the pairing thing, I created a poll so you can vote for your favorite! You can see it in my profile. Especial thanks to XXtheOneAndOnlyXX14, JC Black, The Black Flame, Ritsuka Shin, LM Ryder, DeathEatersAreGreat and It2n for the reviews! Also for the favs and follows! I feel love right now, lol. Kisses~


	4. The Dursleys Departing

"Okay, so… Chapter three: The Dursleys Departing." Read Fleur. Harry raised his eyebrows obviously curious about what did the title mean.

**The sound of the front door slamming echoed up the stairs and a voice roared, "Oh! You!"**

"Dursley, always the polite man, isn't he, dad?" asked Fred obviously amused. Arthur scowled and muttered something under his breath that Molly heard.

"Arthur Weasley! You did not insult the man!" she cried. Everyone looked at the Weasley patriarch between shock and amusement.

"He is a rude whale." He muttered defensively. The twins, Harry and Ron roared with laughter, leaning into each other for support, as the lack of air make the weak and dizzy. Arthur winked at them.****

**Sixteen years of being addressed thus left Harry in no doubt when his uncle was calling, nevertheless, he did not immediately respond.**

"You do that, Harry." Sirius said cheering. Severus frowned and smacked the back of the head of the animagus. "Ouch!" Severus looked at the other side, feigning innocence. Harry looked at them, looking between acceptance, wariness and deep longing.

**He was still at the narrow fragment in which, for a split second, he had thought he saw Dumbledore's eye. It was not until his uncle bellowed, "BOY!" that Harry got slowly out of bed and headed for the bedroom door, pausing to add the piece of broken mirror to the rucksack filled with things he would be taking with him.******

**"You took you time!" roared Vernon Dursley when Harry appeared at the top of the stairs, "Get down here. I want a word!"******

**Harry strolled downstairs, his hands deep in his pants pockets.**

"Ooh, the cool pose. You did learn something from me, Harry." Said Charlie, smirking at him. Harry smirked back, both to Charlie and the rest confused faces.

**When he searched the living room he found all three Dursleys. They were dressed for packing; Uncle Vernon in an old ripped-up jacket and Dudley, Harry's, large, blond, muscular cousin, in his leather jacket.****  
**

"More fatty than muscular. And that jacket looked horrible in it." Mused Harry, while everyone chuckled.

******"Yes?" asked Harry.******

**"Sit down!" said Uncle Vernon. Harry raised his eyebrows. "Please!" added Uncle Vernon, wincing slightly as though the word was sharp in his throat. **

"Wow! He can be polite!" exclaimed Ron, a hand on his chest, looking shocked. Harry sniggered.

**Harry sat. He thought he knew what was coming. His uncle began to pace up and down, Aunt Petunia and Dudley, following his movement with anxious expressions. Finally, his large purple face crumpled with concentration. Uncle Vernon stopped in front of Harry and spoke.******

**"I've changed my mind," he said.******

**"What a surprise," said Harry.**

"Harry!" Molly scolded, but suppressing a smile.

Kingsley chuckled. "You do have quite the attitude, Harry." He said, making the teen blush madly. The twins and Hermione noticed, and smirked to each other. The glances Harry had been throwing at Kingsley were _so _not discrete.  
**  
****"Don't you take that tone- " began Aunt Petunia in a shrill voice, but Vernon Dursley waved her down "It's all a lot of claptrap," said Uncle Vernon, glaring at Harry with piggy little eyes. "I've decided I don't believe a word of it. We're staying put, we're not going anywhere."**

"Aww, I'm greatly disappointed." Mock-whined Charlie.

******Harry looked up at his uncle and felt a mixture of exasperation and amusement. Vernon Dursley had been changing his mind every twenty four hours for the past four weeks, packing and unpacking and repacking the car with every change of heart. Harry's favorite moment had been the one when Uncle Vernon, unaware that Dudley had added his dumbbells to his case since the last time it been repacked, had attempted to hoist it back into the boot and collapsed with a yelp of pain and much swearing.**

The persons who had met Vernon Dursley laughed at that.Karma was a bitch.****

**"According to you," Vernon Dursley said, now resuming his pacing up and down the living room, "we- Petunia, Dudley, and I- are in danger. From- from- "******

**"Some of 'my lot' right?" said Harry.******

**"Well I don't believe it," repeated Uncle Vernon, coming to a halt in front of Harry again. "I was awake half the night thinking it all over, and I believe it's a plot to get the house."******

**"The house?" repeated Harry. "What house?"******

**"This house!" shrieked Uncle Vernon, the vein his forehead starting to pulse. "Our house! House prices are skyrocketing around here! You want us out of the way and then you're going to do a bit of hocus pocus and before we know it the deeds will be in your name and"******

**"Are you out of your mind?" demanded Harry. "A plot to get this house? Are you actually as stupid as you look?"**

Even they had been mad at Dursley for assuming that from Harry, who was likely the last person who could have thought that, they laughed. Moody chuckled under his breath, as he had been reminded strongly of James Potter. Minerva too, since she gave a watery smile.****

**"Don't you dare-!" squealed Aunt Petunia, but again Vernon waved her down. Slights on his personal appearance were it seemed as nothing to the danger he had spotted.******

**"Just in case you've forgotten," said Harry, "I've already got a house my godfather left me one. So why would I want this one? All the happy memories?"**

"Sure, the happy memories." Snorted George, snuggling into Fred's arms, who promptly kissed George's head.

Molly sighed resignedly, there was no solutions with her kids, the seven of them. It had been a big shock within the family when the twins had confessed they were gay and in love with each other. She, and surprisingly Percy had fainted on the spot, but after a long talk they had reassured them they still loved the twins. Ginny had said "Was about time you said it." And Ron "That explains the… _noises _in your room" he said turning brick red like his father and the twins.****

**There was silence. Harry thought he had rather impressed his uncle with this argument.******

**"You claim," said Uncle Vernon, starting to pace yet again, "that this Lord Thingy-"**

"We ought to use that." Tonks said, looking amused. Sirius chuckled while Remus rolled his eyes.****

**"-Voldemort," said Harry impatiently, "and we've been through this about a hundred times already. This isn't a claim, it's fact. Dumbledore told you last year, and Kingsley and Mr. Weasley-"******

**Vernon Dursley hunched his shoulders angrily, and Harry guessed that his uncle was attempting to ward off recollections of the unannounced visit, a few days into Harry's summer holidays, of two fully grown wizards. The arrival on the doorstep of Kingsley Shacklebolt and Arthur Weasley had come as a most unpleasant shock to the Dursleys. **

"I can imagine." Grumbled Moody.

**Harry had to admit, however that as Mr. Weasley had once demolished half of the living room, **

Mr. Weasley's oldest sons, wife and pretty much everyone who hadn't picked Harry in the summer of his forth year looked at Arthur mouth agape. Arthur blushed but looked proud. The twins, Harry and Ron cheered at him.

**his reappearance could not have been expected to delight Uncle Vernon.******

**"- Kingsley and Mr. Weasley explained it all as well," Harry pressed on remorselessly, "Once I'm seventeen, the protective charm that keeps me safe will break, and that exposes you as well as me. **

Albus looked forlorn at that. Fleur's voice had a scared tinge to it.

**The Order is sure Voldemort will target you, whether to torture you to try and find out where I am, or because he thinks by holding you hostage I'd come and try to rescue you."******

**Uncle Vernon's and Harry's eyes met. Harry was sure that in that instant they were both wondering the same thing. **

Ron and Sirius blanched. "The horror…"

**Then Uncle Vernon walked on and Harry resumed, "You've got to go into hiding and the Order wants to help. You're being offered serious protection, the best there is."******

**Uncle Vernon said nothing but continued to pace up and down. Outside the sun hung low over the privet hedges. The next door neighbor's lawn mower stalled again.******

**"I thought there was a Ministry of Magic?" asked Vernon Dursley abruptly.******

**"There is," said Harry, surprised.******

**"Well, then, why can't they protect us? It seems to me that, as innocent victims, guilty of nothing more than harboring a marked man, we ought to qualify for government protection!"****  
**

The workers for the Ministry snorted at that. The last thing the MoM would give was protection, even if it was for Harry Potter.

******Harry laughed; he could not help himself. It was so very typical of his uncle to put his hopes in the establishment, even within this world that he despised and mistrusted. "You heard what Mr. Weasley and Kingsley said," Harry replied. "We think the Ministry has been infiltrated."**

Moody scowled at that.Where was him? He doubted he would have let the Death Eaters take the power without a good fight. Tonks was on the same lines before a scary thought flashed in her mind. What if they-?

"Tonks? Honey? Are you alright?" Remus asked, seeing his soon-to-be-wife pale and shivering. Tonks tried to smile without success.

"Y-yes, but I wouldn't object if you give me a little chocolate." She said, and Remus grabbed a Hershey's Cookies and Cream. Tonks opened and took a bite from it, relaxing a bit.****

**Uncle Vernon strode back to the fireplace and back breathing so strongly that his great black mustache rippled his face still purple with concentration.******

**"All right," he said. Stopping in front of Harry get again. "All right, let's say for the sake of argument we accept this protection. I still don't see why we can't have that Kingsley bloke."******

**Harry managed not to roll his eyes, but with difficulty. This question had also been addressed half a dozen times.****  
**

"I don't know whether to be flattered or a little disgusted." Kingsley said, and Harry chuckled.

"Definitely not flattered, trust me." He said and Kingsley grinned at him, making all the blood on Harry's face go to his cheeks.

"If you say so." Kingsley winked and Sirius smirked when he saw Harry become a nice shade of vermillion. Severus looked questioningly at him.

"Someone has a little crush on Kingsley" he sing sang in Severus' ear, making the professor shiver and lean more on him, their fingers intertwined. Then he sniggered.

"They would look good together."

******"As I've told you," he said through gritted teeth, "Kingsley is protecting the Mug- I mean, your Prime Minister."**

"The best for the task." Said Albus proudly and Kingsley smiled at him, bowing a little.****

**"Exactly- he's the best!" said Uncle Vernon, pointing at the blank television screen.**

Charlie and Percy shuddered "Poor Kingsley." Percy said in mock-sorrow.

**The Dursleys had spotted Kingsley on the news, walking along the Muggle Prime Minister as he visited a hospital. This, and the fact that Kingsley had mastered the knack of dressing like a Muggle, not to mention a certain reassuring something in his slow, deep voice,**

Hermione nudged Harry on the ribs discretely, making Harry blush again. Kingsley looked flattered at that. Moody saw the nudge and shared a knowing look with Sirius.

**had caused the Dursleys to take to Kingsley in a way that they had certainly not done with any other wizard, although it was true that they had never seen him with earring in.****  
**

"There's nothing wrong in having an earring!" scoffed Bill, and Harry smiled, a little more composed.

"I didn't say it had anything wrong, in fact, I like yours."

"Hey!" exclaimed Kingsley (I think I'm writing a lot 'Kingsley'…), jealous.

"A-and yours too…" said Harry hurriedly, looking down at the floor, missing the bald wizard smile.

"Aww, does Ickle Harrykins has a crush on Kingsley?" cooed Charlie and the twins. Harry thought he was going to faint with all the blood in his head. He raised his head and stuck his tongue to them.

"Very mature, Harry." Said Sirius sarcastically.

"Look who's talking." Said Severus, making some people laugh. The kettle calling the pot black.

"I certainly do not-" Sirius was cut by 'the look' Severus gave him. "I don't-" but Severus kept staring. Sirius threw his hand to the air "alright! I'm the least suitable to say that!" he grumbled but relaxed when he felt Severus head on his shoulder. It made Sirius think that they could work this out.

Kingsley just looked at Harry hopeful. While he hadn't accepted he had feeling for him, he had neither denied it. He could live with that. For now.

******"Well, he's taken," said Harry. "But Hestia Jones and Dedalus Diggle are more than up to the job-"****  
**

Minerva groaned. He had the feeling that Diggle wasn't the most suitable choise.

******"If we'd even seen CVs..." began Uncle Vernon, but Harry lost patience. Getting to his feet, he advanced on his uncle, not pointing at the TV set himself.******

**"These accidents aren't accidents- the crashed and explosions and derailments and whatever else has happened since we last watched the news. People are disappearing and dying and he's behind it- Voldemort. I've told you this over and over again, he kills Muggles for fun. Even the fogs- they're caused by dementors, and if you can't remember what they are, ask your son!"******

**Dudley's hands jerked upward to tower his mouth. With his parents' and Harry's eyes upon him, he slowly lowered them again and asked, "There are... more of them?"******

**"More?" laughed Harry. "More than the two that attacked us, you mean? Of course there are hundreds, maybe thousands by this time, seeing as they feed off fear and despair- "**

A shudder ran thru the group, because they had all been in front of a dementor and felt they would be never happy again.****

**"All right, all right blustered," blustered Vernon Dursley. "You've made your point- "******

**"I hope so," said Harry, "because once I'm seventeen, all of them- Death Eaters, elementors, maybe even Inferi- which means dead bodies enchanted by a Dark wizard-**

Harry looked instantly at Albus, their eyes connecting, clearly remembering that fatidical day.

**will be able to find you and will certainly attack you. And if you remember the last time you tried to outrun wizards, I think you'll agree you need help."******

**There was a brief silence in which the distant echo of Hagrid smashing down a wooden front door seemed to reverberate through the intervening years. Aunt Petunia was looking at Uncle Vernon; Dudley was staring at Harry. Finally Uncle Vernon blurted out, "But what about my work? What about Dudley's school? I don't suppose those things matter to a bunch of lay about wizards- "******

**"Don't you understand?" shouted Harry. "They will torture and kill you like they did my parents!"**

Fleur's voice quivered before continuing.****

**"Dad," said Dudley in a loud voice, "Dad- I'm going with these Order people."**

"Dudley, for the first time in your life, you are talking sense." Said Hermione.  
**  
****"Dudley," said Harry, "for the first time in your life, you're talking sense." **

Hermione and Harry blinked and smiled at each other.

**He knew the battle was won. If Dudley was frightened enough to accept the Order's help, his parents would accompany him. There could be no question of being separated from their Duddykins. **

The twins snorted. Siniurs sniggered behing his hand.

**Harry glanced at the carriage clock on the mantelpiece.******

**"They'll be here in about five minutes," he said, and when one of the Dursleys replied, he left the room. The prospect of parting- probably forever- from his aunt, uncle, and cousin was one that he was able to contemplate quite cheerfully but there was nevertheless a certain awkwardness in the air. What did you say to one another at the end of sixteen years' solid dislike?****  
**

"What indeed?" asked Severus to no one, having had that question many years ago.

******Back in his bedroom, Harry fiddled aimlessly with his rucksack then poked a couple of owl nuts through the bats of Hedwig's cage. They fell with dull thuds to the bottom where she ignored them.******

**"We're leaving soon, really soon," Harry told her. "And then you'll be able to fly again."******

**The doorbell rang. Harry hesitated, then headed back out of his room and downstairs. It was too much to expect Hestia and Dedalus to cope with the Dursleys on their own.**

"I pity them, a ride in the car with them…" said Bill dramatically.****

**"Harry Potter!" squeaked an excited voice, the moment Harry had opened the door; a small man in a mauve top hat that was sweeping him a deep bow. "An honor as ever!"**

"Yes, Harry Potter, as honor as ever!" cried the twins while shaking each Harry's hand, making all laugh.****

**"Thanks, Dedalus," said Harry, bestowing a small and embarrassed smile upon the dark haired Hestia. **

"I sense a crush…?" asked Ginny, waggling her eyebrows. Harry sputtered.

"Ah- wha- NO! Belive me, no." he hurried to say.

"Then who is of your liking?" asked Ginny coyly, her eyes darting to Kingsley. Harry chocked on his saliva.

**"It's really good of you to do this... They're through here, my aunt and uncle and cousin..."******

**"Good day to you, Harry Potter's relatives!" said Dedalus happily striding into the living room. The Dursleys did not look at all happy to be addressed thus;**

"We should address them as that, don't 'cha think, Gred?"

"What a wonderful idea, Forge!" cried Fred, delighted.

**Harry half expected another change of mind. Dudley shrank neared to his mother at the sight of the witch and wizard.******

**"I see you are packed and ready. Excellent! The plan, as Harry has told you, is a simple one," said Dedalus, pulling an immense pocket watch out of his waistcoat and examining it. "We shall be leaving before Harry does. Due to the danger of using magic in your house- Harry being still underage it could provide the Ministry with an excuse to arrest him-**

"Most likely." Muttered Remus darkly.

**we shall be driving, say, ten miles or so before Disapparating to the safe location we have picked out for you. You know how to drive, I take it?" He asked Uncle Vernon politely.******

**"Know how to-? Of course I ruddy well know how to drive!" spluttered Uncle Vernon.******

**"Very clever of you, sir, very clever. I personally would be utterly bamboozled by all those buttons and knobs," said Dedalus. He was clearly under the impression that he was flattering Vernon Dursley, who was visibly losing confidence in the plan with every word Dedalus spoke.******

**"Can't even drive," he muttered under his breath, his mustache rippling indignantly, but fortunately neither Dedalus nor Hestia seemed to hear him.******

**"You, Harry," Dedalus continued, "will wait here for your guard. There has been a little change in the arrangements- "****  
**

"What?" asked Percy, clearly confused. No one answered him, and he didn't bothered.

******"What d'you mean?" said Harry at once. "I thought Mad-Eye was going to come and take me by Side Along-Apparition?"******

**"Can't do it," said Hestia tersely, "Mad-Eye will explain."******

**The Dursleys, who had listened to all of this with looks of utter incomprehension on their faces, jumped as a loud voice screeched, "Hurry up!" Harry looked all around the room before realizing the voice had issued from Dedalus's pocket watch.******

**"Quite right, were operating to a very tight schedule," said Dedalus nodding at his watch and tucking it back into his waist coat. "We are attempting to time your departure from the house with your family's Disapparition, Harry thus the charm breaks the moment you all head for safety." He turned to the Dursleys, "Well, are we all packed and ready to go?"******

**None of them answered him. Uncle Vernon was still staring appalled at the bulge in Dedalus's waistcoat pocket.******

**"Perhaps we should wait outside in the hall, Dedalus," murmured Hestia. She clearly felt that it would be tactless for them to remain the room while Harry and the Dursleys exchanged loving, possibly tearful farewells.**

Harry couldn't help but laugh out loud at that. "Yeah, because they would be _so_ sad I wouldn't see them again."

"We would, brother. We'd be devastated." Said Ron and everyone nodded; Sirius and the woman a little more eager. Kingsley agreed wholeheartedly with the youngest male of the Weasleys, but didn't say anything.

"Yeah, I mean, not seeing out favorite scrawny git? Unthinkable!" cried George outraged**. **Harry smiled at them, grateful for their concern.

******"There's no need," Harry muttered, but Uncle Vernon made any further explanation unnecessary by saying loudly, "Well, this is good-bye then boy."******

**He swung his right arm upward to shake Harry's hand, but at the last moment seemed unable to face it, and merely closed his fist and began swinging it backward and forward like a metronome.**

"He was never good at facing things." Shrugged off Harry.****

**"Ready, Duddy?" asked Petunia, fussily checking the clasp of her handbag so as to avoid looking at Harry altogether.******

**Dudley did not answer but stood there with his mouth slightly ajar, reminding Harry a little of the giant, Grawp.****  
**

The Trio chuckled before Molly shouted.

"YOU FACED A GIANT?!" she was pale and shaking. Sirius, Remus, Kingsley and Arthiur were equally pale.

"Totally inoffensive. He didn't hurt us and we helped him." Explained Hermione.

******"Come along, then," said Uncle Vernon.******

**He had already reached the living room door when Dudley mumbled, "I don't understand."******

**"What don't you understand, popkin?" asked Petunia looking up at her son.******

**Dudley raised a large, hamlike hand to point at Harry.******

**"Why isn't he coming with us?"**

Harry looked shocked.****

**Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia froze when they stood staring at Dudley as though he had just expressed a desire to become a ballerina.**

"Just imagine, Willy dancing like a ballerina." Snorted Tonks, and Harry, Severus and Hermione all laughed, understanding the nickname. Then Harry burst out laughing.

"I can so imagine the director of the ballet shouting "Free Willy!" said Harry gasping for air. Hermione was red in the face from laughing too much. The rest looked at them like they had grown an extra head.****

**"What?" said Uncle Vernon loudly.******

**"Why isn't he coming too?" asked Dudley.****  
**

"He does care." Muttered Ron surprised.

******"Well, he- doesn't want to," said Uncle Vernon, turning to glare at Harry and adding, "You don't want to, do you?"******

**"Not in the slightest," said Harry.****  
**

Harry nodded.

******"There you are," Uncle Vernon told Dudley. "Now come on we're off."******

**He marched out of the room. They heard the front door open, but Dudley did not move and after a few faltering steps Aunt Petunia stopped too.******

**"What now?" barked Uncle Vernon, reappearing in the doorway.******

**It seemed that Dudley was struggling with concepts too difficult to put into words. After several moments of apparently painful internal struggle he said, "But where's he going to go?"**

Everyone groaned. Dudley was making them late.

******Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon looked at each other. It was clear that Dudley was frightening them. Hestia Jones broke the silence.******

**"But... surely you know where your nephew is going?" she asked looking bewildered.******

**"Certainly we know," said Vernon Dursley. "He's off with some of your lot, isn't he? Right, Dudley, let's get in the car, you heard the man, we're in a hurry."******

**Again, Vernon Dursley marched as far as the front door, but Dudley did not follow.******

**"Off with some of our lot?"******

**Hestia looked outraged. **

"Same here." Said Charlie.

**Harry had met this attitude before Witches and wizards seemed stunned that his closed living relatives took so little interest in the famous Harry Potter.******

**"It's fine," Harry assured her. "It doesn't matter, honestly."******

**"Doesn't matter?" repeated Hestia, her voice rising considerably.******

**"Don't these people realize what you've been through? What danger you are in? The unique position you hold in the hearts of the anti Voldemort movement?"******

**"Er- no, they don't," said Harry. "They think I'm a waste of space, actually but I'm used to- "******

**"I don't think you're a waste of space."**

"Here, here, my dear Hestia!" exclaimed Sirius.

**If Harry had not seen Dudley's lips move, he might not have believed it.**

Everyone was stunned, to say at least. Harry was gaping at the book.

**As it was, he stared at Dudley for several seconds before accepting that it must have been his cousin who had spoken; for one thing, Dudley had turned red. Harry was embarrassed and astonished himself.******

**"Well... er... thanks, Dudley."******

**Again, Dudley appeared to grapple with thoughts too unwieldy for expression before mumbling, "You saved my life,"******

**"Not really," said Harry. "It was your soul the dementor would have taken..."******

**He looked curiously at his cousin. They had had virtually no contact during this summer or last, as Harry had come back to Privet Drive so briefly and kept to his room so much. It now dawned on Harry, however, that the cup of cold tea on which he had trodden that morning might not have been a booby trap at all. Although rather touched he was nevertheless quite relieved that Dudley appeared to have exhausted his ability to express his feelings. After opening his mouth once or twice more, Dudley subsided into scarlet-faced silence.******

**Aunt Petunia burst into tears. Hestia Jones gave her an approving look that changed to outrage as Aunt Petunia ran forward and embraced Dudley rather than Harry. "S-so sweet, Dudders..." she sobbed into his massive chest. "S-such a lovely b-boy... s-saying thank you..."****  
**

"He didn't even said 'Thank you!" cried Fleur, indignated.

"Believe, from Dudley, it's the most you could ever get." Said Harry, checking his fingernails. Molly frowned. How could the Dursleys not love Harry was truly beyond her.

******"But he hasn't said thank you at all!" said Hestia indignantly. "He only said he didn't think Harry was a waste of space!"******

**"Yea but coming from Dudley that's like 'I love you,'" said Harry, torn between annoyance and a desire to laugh as Aunt Petunia continued to clutch at Dudley as if he had just saved Harry from a burning building.**

Most of the room laughed, relieving the tension a little.

**"Are we going or not?" roared Uncle Vernon, reappearing yet again at the living room door. "I thought we were on a tight schedule!"******

**"Yes- yes, we are," said Dedalus Diggle, who had been watching these exchanged with an air of bemusement and now seemed to pull himself together. "We really must be off. Harry- "******

**He tripped forward and wrung Harry's hand with both of his own.******

**"- good luck. I hope we meet again. The hopes of the Wizarding world rest upon your shoulders."**

"So no pressure then, Harry." Snorted Moddy.****

**"Oh," said Harry, "right. Thanks."******

**"Farwell, Harry," said Hestia also clasping his hand. "Our thoughts go with you."******

**"I hope everything's okay," said Harry with a glance toward Aunt Petunia and Dudley.******

**"Oh I'm sure we shall end up the best of chums," said Diggle slightly, waving his hat as he left the room. Hestia followed him.******

**Dudley gently released himself from his mother's clutches and walked toward Harry who had to repress an urge to threaten him with magic. Then Dudley held out his large, pink hand.******

**"Blimey, Dudley," said Harry over Aunt Petunia's renewed sobs, "did the dementors blow a different personality into you?"****  
**

"Seems like it." Said Hermione.

******"Dunno," muttered Dudley, "See you, Harry."******

**"Yea ..." said Harry, raking Dudley's hand and shaking it. "Maybe. Take care, Big D."******

**Dudley nearly smiled. They lumbered from the room. Harry heard his heavy footfalls on the graveled drive, and then a car door slammed.******

**Aunt Petunia whose face had been buried in her handkerchief looked around at the sound. She did not seem to have expected to find herself alone with Harry. Hastily stowing her wet handkerchief into her pocket, she said, "Well- good-bye" and marched towards the door without looking at him.******

**"Good-bye" said Harry.******

**She stopped and looked back. For a moment Harry had the strangest feeling that she wanted to say something to him; She gave him an odd, tremulous look and seemed to teeter on the edge of speech, but then, with a little of her head, she hustled out of the room after he husband and son.**

Harry had an idea of what Petunia had wanted to say.

"That's the end of the chapter." Said Fleur. Bill yawned and buried his face in Fleur's golden locks.

"One more chapter and then I think we should retire." Said Remus and everyone agreed with him. "I'd like to read." He said.

"Of course, here," Fleur handed him the book and Remus opened it in the bookmark.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Heya! How are you? I'm fine thank you. So here is another chapter! I hope it is of you liking. I've decided it will be a Kingsley/Harry and Fred/George. I'm not sure about Hermione and Ginny so please help me. Please review! I don't want to sound demanding but it really makes me feel good, you know? Anyways. If I have 7 or more reviews I'll update as soon as I can. Kisses~

Pd: Thank you all for the revies, favs and follows. Ya guys are great!


	5. The Seven Potter

"Okay… the next chapter is **The Seven Potters**." Said Remus, the book in one hand while the other one was playing with Tonk's magenta locks.

"Oh, Merlin forbid, no!" cried Fred in mock-horror. George had his face buried in his twins robes, knees trembling. "With one scrawny git is enough!" Harry huffed.

"Hush you." He muttered, but smiling.

**Harry ran back upstairs to his bedroom, arriving at the window just in time to see the Dursleys' car swinging out of the drive and off up the road. Dedalus's top hat was visible between Aunt Petunia and Dudley in the backseat. The car turned right at the end of Privet Drive, its windows burned scarlet for a moment in the now setting sun, and then it was gone.**

Harry shrugged. He wasn't bothered at all seeing the persons who made his childhood a living hell gone.****

**Harry picked up Hedwig's cage, his Firebolt, and his rucksack, gave his unnaturally tidy bedroom one last sweeping look, and then made his ungainly way back downstairs to the hall, where he deposited cage, broomstick, and bag near the foot of the stairs. The light was fading rapidly, the hall full of shadows in the evening light. It felt most strange to stand here in the silence and know that he was about to leave the house for the last time. Long ago, when he had been left alone while the Dursleys went out to enjoy themselves, the hours of solitude had been a rare treat.**

Sirius bowed his head. I he hadn't gone and face Pettigrew…

"Sirius." Called Harry. Sirius snapped his eyes to his godson. "It's okay. I've told you, it's all forgiven." The animaagus smiled slightly.

**Pausing only to sneak something tasty from the fridge, he had rushed upstairs to play on Dudley's computer, or put on the television and flicked through the channels to his heart's content. It gave him an odd, empty feeling remembering those times; it was like remembering a younger brother whom he had lost.******

**"Don't you want to take a last look at the place?" he asked Hedwig, who was still sulking with her head under her wing. "We'll never be here again. Don't you want to remember all the good times?**

Bill and Charlie looked incredulously at Harry.

**I mean, look at this doormat. What memories ... Dudley sobbed on it after I saved him from the dementors ... **

Ginny had an odd face of contempt.

**Turns out he was grateful after all, can you believe it? ... **

"Sincerely? No." said Ron.

"Thanks, Hedwig." Said Hermione sarcastically. Everyone chuckled at the blush on Ron's face.

**And last summer, Dumbledore walked through that front door ..."******

**Harry lost the thread of his thoughts for a moment and Hedwig did nothing to help him retrieve it, but continued to sit with her head under her wing. Harry turned his back on the front door.******

**"And under here, Hedwig"- Harry pulled open a door under the stairs- "is where I used to sleep!**

There was a heavy silence before someone screamed.

"YOU SLEPT IN WHERE?!" roared Severus, which surprised Harry. Sirius was shaking madly, his eyes wild.

"ALBUS DUMBLEDORE, YOU LEFT HARRY LIVE WITH THOSE GODFORSAKEN MUGGLES?!" shouted Remus and Molly. All the Weasleys kids were very pale under their freckles. Minerva had stood and started shooting hexes to random objects. Tonks hair was a brilliant vermillion and Moody was rigid on his seat.

"I didn't knew that-" Albus started before being cut by and deranged Sirius.

"YOU DIDN'T KNEW? DID YOU EVER VISITED HARRY AS A KID? WHAT KIND OF PERSON ARE YOU?" Sirius roared before started to pace. All the girls were weeping softly while they hugged the live out of Harry. Then a blur of purple made them move away from Harry as he was scooped in Kingsley's arms.

"Did they do something from you, Harry?" asked Kingsley, a serious look on his eyes. Harry blushed.

"I- They…"

"Don't lie to me, please." Kingsley implored.

"They didn't hit me, e-except Dudley as a k-kid, but they gave me food and-" Harry stammered before Fred asked in a shaky voice.

"Is there any reason you asked us for food?" he asked and everyone stopped talking. Remus had simply left before the wolf came out, but not before saying some colorful things to Dumbledore, who was quiet and the twinkle was gone from his eyes.

Harry didn't say anything.

"Harry." Ron said. "Please."

He opened his mouth but closed and only nodded. He soon was engulfed in Kingley's robes as he hugged him tightly, but not choking him. He tensed a little before melting in the embrace, his hands touching lightly Kingsley's chest.

"I don't care what you say, Dumbledore, but he's coming with us for the rest of the summer. Merlin only knows how much they'll keep starving him." Said Molly firmly, and Arthur nodded at once, leaving no room for arguments. Harry's face lit up so much that everyone calmed down, their postures not aggressive towards the Headmaster.

"But Molly-" Albus began.

"Albus."

Albus turned to see Minerva in front of him. She just shook her head, an unreadable expression en her face. Albus sighed, defeated, and nodded once. The tension that was in the room dissipated.

"Where's Remus?" asked Sirus, his jaw still tense.

"He had to leave, you know- Moony." Said Tonks softly as she sat in the loveseat.

"I'll read, then." Said Moody as he picked the book. Everyone assumed their sits but as Harry tried to disentangle from Kingsley, stepping out of his arms, the dark skinned wizard secured him against his chest, and much to the amusement of the presents, especially the twins who were sniggering behind their hands, he sat in a loveseat, a very flushed Harry next to him.

"I hope it doesn´t bothers you." Kingsley whispered in Harry's ear, making him shiver and almost faint due to the copious amount of blood in his head. He just shook his head and relaxed against the leather of the couch. Hermione and Ginny gave him thumbs up, while Ron chortled.

**You never knew me then- Blimey, it's small,**

Bill growled, and Fleur saw the weak wolf in him.

**I'd forgotten ..."******

**Harry looked around at the stacked shoes and umbrellas remembering how he used to wake every morning looking up at the underside of the staircase, which was more often than not adorned with a spider or two.**

Ron shuddered and George felt bad at the burst of accidental magic all those years ago. Albus looked devastated and Minerva ignored him pointedly. To send the boy they considered a grandson to that hell…

**Those had been the days before he had known anything about his true identity; before he had found out how his parents had died or why such strange things often happened around him. But Harry could still remember the dreams that had dogged him, even in those days: confused dreams involving flashes of green light**

Severus shuddered and Sirius hugged him to his side, whispering soothing words to him.

**and once- Uncle Vernon had nearly crashed the car when Harry had recounted it- a flying motorbike...**

Harry smiled at the memory of Hagrid giving him his Hogwarts letter.  
**  
****There was a sudden, deafening roar from somewhere nearby. Harry straightened up with a jerk and smacked the top of his head on the low door frame. **

Charlie winced.

**Pausing only to employ a few of Uncle Vernon's choicest swear words, **

"Harry! How could you do that!" said Fred.

Molly sent a look in Harry's way, who hid his face in his hands.

**he staggered back into the kitchen, clutching his head and staring out of the window into the back garden.******

**The darkness seemed to be rippling, the air itself quivering. Then, one by one, figures began to pop into sight as their Disillusionment Charms lifted. Dominating the scene was Hagrid, wearing a helmet and goggles and sitting astride an enormous motorbike with a black sidecar attached. **

The Weasleys kids, Hermione, Harry and Sirius cheered for him.

**All around him other people were dismounting from brooms and, in two cases, skeletal, black winged horses.****  
**

"Threstrals…" whispered Harry, remembering the horses' white eyes.

******Wrenching open the back door, Harry hurtled into their midst. There was a general cry of greeting as Hermione flung her arms around him, **

"Sorry Kingsley." Said Hermione cheekily.

Kingsley just smirked. No one noticed two blue eyes look jealous between Hermione and Harry.

**Ron clapped him on the back, and Hagrid said, "All righ', Harry? Ready fer the off?"******

**"Definitely," said Harry, beaming around at them all. "But I wasn't expecting this many of you!"******

**"Change of plan," growled Mad-Eye, who was holding two enormous bulging sacks, and whose magical eye was spinning from darkening sky to house to garden with dizzying rapidity. "Let's get undercover before we talk you through it."**

"Constant vigilance!" barked Moody, making them jump slightly. He smirked.****

**Harry led them all back into the kitchen where, laughing and chattering, they settled on chairs, sat themselves upon Aunt Petunia's gleaming work surfaces, or leaned up against her spotless appliances; Ron, long and lanky; **

"Thanks mate." Muttered Ron. Ginny laughed like the rest of the Weasleys, Molly included.

**Hermione, her bushy hair tied back in a long plait; **

Harry dodged a pillow thrown his way.

**Fred and George, grinning identically; **

"I think mine's sexier." Mused George, combing an imaginary beard.

"Sure, love." Said Fred rolling his eyes.

**Bill, badly scarred and longhaired; **

Fleur whispered into his ear: "and still breathtakingly beautiful." Before pecking him on the cheek. Bill beamed at her.

**Mr. Weasley, kind-faced, balding, his spectacles a little awry;**

Arthur smiled, running his hand through the last of his hair .

**Mad-Eye, battle-worn, one-legged, his bright blue magical eye whizzing in its socket;**

"Nothing new there." Joked Tonks, winking at him. Moody grumbled fondly at her favorite protégé. The rest knew if they dared to talk to him like that they'll be most likely dead.

**Tonks, whose short hair was her favorite shade of bright pink; **

"Wotcher!" said Tonks.

"Wotcher Tonks!" exclaimed the youngest of the group.

**Lupin, grayer, more lined; **

"I'll have to tell Moony that." Chuckled Sirius.

"Tell me what?" asked Remus as he entered into the room, sitting next to Tonks and grabbing her hand.

"Nothing."

**Fleur, slender and beautiful, with her long silvery blonde hair; **

"Thanks Harry." The veela beamed at him. Harry smiled back.

**Kingsley, bald and broad-shouldered; **

"Hey! A little more description wouldn't hurt." Kingsley joked, nudging Harry lightly, who blushed but smiled at him.

"If he had described more, he would have said something like: 'His eyes shining like two stars'." Said Fred.

"'A smile on his face that warmed him'. " George chimmed.

"'His beauty making Harry breathless'" Tonks recited dramatically.

"'His strong arms inviting him'" it was Sirius, who was looking at Severus, who blushed, but rested his head in the crook of the animagus' neck.

"'His lips making Harry want to kiss them'" Charlie contributed.

"'His smooth skin taunting him'" laughed Bill.

"'The willow of his purple robe making him a prince from a fairytale'" surprisingly it was Severus, and more surprisingly, Charlie high-fived him.

"You have to understand, my dear Kingsley, that Harry had to contain himself from mentally drooling at you." Smirked Hermione.

"Yes, it would have looked suspicious for Harry to start salivating in your face." Said Ginny, laughter in every syllable.

The room was laughing so hard, except Albus, Molly and Moody, they had to wait several minutes for them to calm down. Harry was so mortified he had covered his face with his jacket, but everyone could still see the vermillion red in his forehead. Kingsley just smiled and grabbed his hand, and Harry squeezed it gently.

"C-can I talk t-to you after this?" asked Harry, his voice muffled by the jacked.

"Sure." Said Kingsley, intertwining their fingers. Harry felt his stomach do back flips.

**Hagrid, with his wild hair and beard, standing hunchbacked to avoid hitting his head on the ceiling;**

"Good ol' Hagrid!" said Ron fondly.

**and Mundungus Fletcher, small, dirty, and hangdog, with his droopy beady hound's eyes and matted hair.**

"Seriously, did Fletcher ever bathed? His hair is a disgrace." Sneered Minerva, and all the women agreed.

"I think he hasn't bathed since the Order took residency in Grimmauld Place." Said Albus and all the women, including Sirius said "eew."

**Harry's heart seemed to expand and glow at the sight: He felt incredibly fond of all of them, even Mundungus, whom he had tried to strangle the last time they had met.**

"We love you too. Harry." Said Fleur and everyone beamed at Harry, who had raised his head from his jacket at that, except Severus, who smiled brightly at him, and Moody, who refused to fall into that 'emotional nonsense'.

"And who doesn't want to strangle ol' Dung?" said Percy. All the Weasleys looked at each other; a lot had passed two years ago, and they still needed to talk, but their relationship wasn't as frostily as the beginning. It had been lightening since Charlie punched Percy on the nose and said he was a big asshole.****

**"Kingsley, I thought you were looking after the Muggle Prime Minister?" he called across the room.**

"Aww, they are talking." Cooed Tonks sweetly. Harry scowled, becoming irritated when Kingsley squeezed his hand gently. He relaxed but still had a serious look on his face.****

**"He can get along without me for one night," said Kingsley, "You're more important."**

Now all the women cooed, even Minerva, while the men whistled or patted Kingsley on the back. Harry flushed but shuffled a little closer to Kingsley, resting his head on his shoulder. The bald wizard only smiled at Harry, the rest of the room forgotten.****

**"Harry, guess what?" said Tonks from her perch on top of the washing machine, and she wiggled her left hand at him; a ring glistened there.******

**"You got married?" Harry yelped, looking from her to Lupin.**

Tonks jumped from the couch, dragging Remus with her and started laughing, mirthful tears on her eyes. "We are getting married! I can't believe it!"

Remus stopped jumping and started searching something on his pocket. He had had it for a time, and he hadn't been sure about it but now seemed the moment. As he pulled a tiny black leather box, he got on one knee. There were gasps around the room, and Tonks was covering her mouth with her hands, tears threatening to fall.

"Tonks, from the moment I saw you, I thought you were the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. I was too afraid to know you, and when I did, you brought the light into my life. I had never been this happy ever. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Nymphadora Tonks," Tonks didn't even bothered to correct him as she was crying "will you make me the happiest man on Earth and marry me?" he asked, eyes shining and voice trembling.

"YES! YES! A thousand times, yes!" cries Tonks as she launched herself at Remus, kissing him. He wiped he tears of his eyes and put the ring on her. Everyone was laughing, cheering, clapping or crying, happy from the bottom of their hearts.**  
**

It took another ten minutes before they could sit and continue reading. Harry had hugged him fiercely, beaming at them and saying he had now a godmother too, as he saw Remus as his godfather too. Sirius didn't hide his tears as he hugged his best friend and niece, and Severus also hugged them. Moody continued reading as the couple was immersed in one another,

******"I'm sorry you couldn't be there, Harry, it was very quiet."**

"Well make sure you go Harry. I want you to be my best man. Severus, you too." Said Remus, and needless to say, the two men were speechless. Lump on their throats, they beamed at Remus. Sirus felt guilt and sadness sweep through him; he couldn't be part in his family's best moments because of that bitch. He sighed mutely.****

**"That's brilliant, congrat- "******

**"All right, all right, we'll have time for a cozy catch-up later," roared Moody over the hubbub, and silence fell in the kitchen.**

"Mad Eye, don't kill the mood!" whined Tonks. Moody sent a mid-glare at her.

**Moody dropped his sacks at his feet and turned to Harry. "As Dedalus probably told you, we had to abandon Plan A. Pius Thicknesse has gone over, which gives us a big problem. He's made it an imprisonable offense to connect this house to the Floo Network, place a Portkey here, or Apparate in or out. **

Everyone groaned.

**All done in the name of your protection, to prevent You-Know-Who getting in at you. Absolutely pointless, seeing as your mother's charm does that already. What he's really done is to stop you getting out of here safely."******

**"Second problem: You're underage, which means you've still got the Trace on you."******

**"I don't- "******

**"The Trace, the Trace!" said Mad-Eye impatiently. "The charm that detects magical activity around under-seventeens, the way the Ministry finds out about underage magic! If you, or anyone around you, cast a spell to get you out of here, Thicknesse is going to know about it, and so will the Death Eaters."******

**"We can't wait for the Trace to break, because the moment you turn seventeen you'll lose all the protection your mother gave you. In short, Pius Thicknesse thinks he's got you cornered good and proper."******

**Harry could not help but agree with the unknown Thicknesse.******

**"So what are we going to do?"******

**"We're going to use the only means of transport left to us, the only ones the Trace can't detect, because we don't need to cast spells to use them: brooms, thestrals, and Hagrid's motorbike."**

"It's my motorbike!" cried Sirius indignantly. Severus rolled his eyed at him.****

**Harry could see flaws in this plan; however, he held his tongue to give Mad-Eye the chance to address them.******

**"Now, your mother's charm will only break under two conditions: when you come of age, or"- Moody gestured around the pristine kitchen. "you no longer call this place home.**

"I've never called that place home. So that means that…" Harry whispered, and everyone paled at what that meant. Harry had been defenseless all this time.

**You and your aunt and uncle are going your separate ways tonight, in the full understanding that you're never going to live together again, correct?"******

**Harry nodded.******

**"So this time, when you leave, there'll be no going back, and the charm will break the moment you get outside its range. We're choosing to break it early, because the alternative is waiting for You-Know-Who to come and seize you the moment you turn seventeen."******

**"The one thing we've got on our side is that You-Know-Who doesn't know we're moving you tonight. We've leaked a fake trail to the Ministry: They think you're not leaving until the thirtieth. However, this is You-Know-Who we're dealing with, so we can't rely on him getting the date wrong; he's bound to have a couple of Death Eaters patrolling the skies in this general area, just in case. So, we've given a dozen different houses every protection we can throw at them. They all look like they could be the place we're going to hide you, they've all got some connection with the Order: my house, Kingsley's place, Molly's Auntie Muriel's- you get the idea."******

**"Yeah," said Harry, not entirely truthfully, because he could still spot a gaping hole in the plan.**

Hermione snickered quietly.****

**"You'll be going to Tonks's parents. **

Tonks and Sirius cheered.

**Once you're within the boundaries of the protective enchantments we've put on their house you'll be able to use a Portkey to the Burrow. Any questions?"******

**"Er- yes," said Harry. "Maybe they won't know which of the twelve secure houses I'm heading for at first, but won't it be sort of obvious once"- he performed a quick headcount-**

"You can count!" Fred said in shock. Harry stuck his tongue at him.

"Well yeah. I may be bad in some things, but I can do a thing or two."

**"fourteen of us fly off toward Tonks's parents?"******

**"Ah," said Moody, "I forgot to mention the key point. Fourteen of us won't be flying to Tonks's parents. There will be seven Harry Potters moving through the skies tonight, each of them with a companion, each pair heading for a different safe house."**

"Brilliant!" cried Sirius, while Moody looked smug.

**From inside his cloak Moody now withdrew a flask of what looked like mud. There was no need for him to say another word; Harry understood the rest of the plan immediately.******

**"No!" he said loudly, his voice ringing through the kitchen. "No way!"**

"What?" asked Charlie confused.

******"I told them you'd take it like this," said Hermione with a hint of complacency.**

Ron. Hermione, Ginny and the twins rolled his eyes at Harry.****

**"If you think I'm going to let six people risk their lives- !"**

"You can be so frustrating, Harry." Said Ginny. Harry huffed.

******"- because it's the first time for all of us," said Ron.******

**"This is different, pretending to be me- "******

**"Well, none of us really fancy it, Harry," said Fred earnestly. "Imagine if something went wrong and we were stuck as specky, scrawny gits forever."****  
**

"Oh no, that would be certainly horrible. My beautifulness gone! The simple idea makes me shudder!" said George, one hand on his forehead and the other one on the air. Charlie chuckled.

"I don't look that bad!" said Harry.

"You are certainly not." Whispered Kingsley in his ear and Harry shivered.

******Harry did not smile.******

**"You can't do it if I don't cooperate, you need me to give you some hair."******

**"Well, that's the plan scuppered," said George. "Obviously there's no chance at all of us getting a bit of your hair unless you cooperate."******

**"Yeah, thirteen of us against one bloke who's not allowed to use magic; we've got no chance," said Fred.******

**"Funny," said Harry, "really amusing."**

"It is!"criedthe twins, mock-offended.****

**"If it has to come to force, then it will," growled Moody, his magical eye now quivering a little in its socket as he glared at Harry. "Everyone here's overage, Potter, and they're all prepared to take the risk."******

**Mundungus shrugged and grimaced; the magical eye swerved sideways to glance at him out of the side of Moody's head.******

**"Let's have no more arguments. Time's wearing on. I want a few of your hairs, boy, now."******

**"But this is mad, there's no need- "**

"Oh my goodness, Harry! Stop being such a prat and give them the hair already!" snapped Ron, his eye twitching. Harry only laughed, but decided that when the time come he'll cooperate. It wasn't only for him, after all.  
**  
****"No need!" snarled Moody. "With You-Know-Who out there and half the Ministry on his side? Potter, if we're lucky he'll have swallowed the fake bait and he'll be planning to ambush you on the thirtieth, but he'd be mad not to have a Death Eater or two keeping an eye out, it's what I'd do. They might not be able to get at you or this house while your mother's charm holds, but it's about to break and they know the rough position of the place. Our only chance is to use decoys. Even You-Know-Who can't split himself into seven."******

**Harry caught Hermione's eye and looked away at once.****  
**

Albus looked surprised. So they already knew.

The Trio shared a look before averting their eyes.

**So, Potter- some of your hair, if you please."******

**Harry glanced at Ron, who grimaced at him in a just-do-it sort of way.******

**"Now!" barked Moody.******

**With all of their eyes upon him, Harry reached up to the top of his head, grabbed a hank of hair, and pulled.**

"Oow." Winced a lot of people. Harry was rubbing his head, like he had recently pulled his hair.  
**  
****"Good," said Moody, limping forward as he pulled the stopper out of the flask of potion. "Straight in here, if you please."******

**Harry dropped the hair into the mudlike liquid. The moment it made contact with its surface, the potion began to froth and smoke, then, all at once, it turned a clear, bright gold.**

Some wizards low-whistled while others smiled at that.

"What does that mean?" asked Harry, confused.

"That, my dear boy, means that you have a pure soul." Said Albus for the first time and Harry flushed a little.

******"Ooh, you look much tastier than Crabbe and Goyle, Harry," said Hermione, **

The twins and Sirius made an odd choking sound before bursting into laugher. Bill and Charlie looked at Hermione as if they had never seen her, Arthur was brick red, Severus was clearly amused and Harry, Ron and Ginny where laughing quietly, a knowing look on their faces. Hermione's face was between green and red.

**before catching sight of Ron's raised eyebrows, blushing slightly, and saying, "Oh, you know what I mean- Goyle's potion tasted like bogies."**

"See? I didn't meant that!" huffed Hermione. Harry shuddered, remembering the Polyjuice Potion.

"Bogies all right. What did Crabbe's one taste like?" asked Harry to Ron, who turned slightly green.

"Like a rotten egg." He said.

******"Right then, fake Potters line up over here, please," said Moody.******

**Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and Fleur lined up in front of Aunt Petunia's gleaming sink.******

**"We're one short," said Lupin.******

**"Here," said Hagrid gruffly, and he lifted Mundungus by the scruff of the neck and dropped him down beside Fleur,**

Fleur wrinkled her nose and Bill chuckled.

**who wrinkled her nose pointedly and moved along to stand between Fred and George instead.**

"I feel flattered, my dear-in-law." Said Fred bowing.

"Really honored." Continued George. Fleur just giggled.****

**"I'm a soldier, I'd sooner be a protector," said Mundungus.******

**"Shut it," growled Moody. "As I've already told you, you spineless worm, any Death Eaters we run into will be aiming to capture Potter, not kill him. Dumbledore always said You-Know-Who would want to finish Potter in person. It'll be the protectors who have got the most to worry about, the Death Eaters'll want to kill them."******

**Mundungus did not look particularly reassured, but Moody was already pulling half a dozen eggcup-sized glasses from inside his cloak, which he handed out, before pouring a little Polyjuice Potion into each one.******

**"Altogether, then ..."******

**Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Fleur, and Mundungus drank. All of them gasped and grimaced as the potion hit their throats; **

Ron grimaced; it hurt like hell and left a horrid taste in his mouth.

**At once, their features began to bubble and distort like hot wax. Hermione and Mundungus were shooting upward; Ron, Fred, and George were shrinking; their hair was darkening, Hermione's and Fleur's appearing to shoot backward into their skulls.**

"Nice." Muttered Hermione.****

**Moody, quite unconcerned, was now loosening the ties of the large sacks he had brought with him. When he straightened up again, there were six Harry Potters gasping and panting in front of him.**

**Fred and George turned to each other and said together, "Wow- we're identical!"**

They all laughed at the twins antics.****

**"I dunno, though, I think I'm still better-looking," said Fred, examining his reflection in the kettle.**

"Pfft, suure my dear brother." Said George, sarcasm dripping from his voice.****

**"Bah," said Fleur, checking herself in the microwave door, "Bill, don't look at me- I'm 'ideous."**

"I feel a little offended." Said Harry and Fleur opened her mouth to apologize when she saw the smile on Harry's face.****

**"Those whose clothes are a bit roomy, I've got smaller here," said Moody, indicating the first sack, "and vice versa. Don't forget the glasses, there are six pairs in the side pocket. And when you're dressed, there's luggage in the other sack."******

**The real Harry thought that this might just be the most bizarre thing he had ever seen, and he had seen some extremely odd things.**

"You got that right." Said Ron and Harry and Hermione nodded. They had seen odd things indeed.

**He watched as his six doppelgangers rummaged in the sacks, pulling out sets of clothes, putting on glasses, stuffing their own things away. He felt like asking them to show a little more respect for privacy as they all began stripping off with impunity, clearly more at ease with displaying his body than they would have been with their own.**

"Sorry, mate." Said Ron

Harry waved it off. "As long as you don't do it when the time comes."****

**"I knew Ginny was lying about that tattoo," said Ron, looking down at his bare chest.**

All the Weasley brother's eyes narrowed at Harry.

"Why would she say something about that, Harry?" said Charlie, and Harry paled.

"I- I swear I haven't done anything with Ginny, she is like a sister to me, I promise." He explained.

"He is telling the truth. Plus, I'm dating Dean Thomas." She said.

"You dating who?" asked Ron. "We'd need to have a little chat." The twins nodded.

Harry sighed relieved at escaping the Weasleys' wrath.****

**"Harry, your eyesight really is awful," said Hermione, as she put on glasses.**

"Thanks, Hermione." Said Harry.

******Once dressed, the fake Harrys took rucksacks and owl cages, each containing a stuffed snowy owl, from the second sack.******

**"Good," said Moody, as at last seven dressed, bespectacled, and luggage-laden Harrys faced him. "The pairs will be as follows: Mundungus will be traveling with me, by broom- "******

**"Why'm I with you?" grunted the Harry nearest the back door.******

**"Because you're the one that needs watching," growled Moody, and sure enough, his magical eye did not waver from Mundungus as he continued, "Arthur and Fred- "******

**"I'm George," said the twin at whom Moody was pointing. "Can't you even tell us apart when we're Harry?"**

Harry sniggered quietly. Molly was tired of being joked with that.****

**"Sorry, George- "******

**"I'm only yanking your wand, I'm Fred really- "**

The twins high-fived.****

**"Enough messing around!" snarled Moody. "The other one- George or Fred or whoever you are- you're with Remus. Miss Delacour- "******

**"I'm taking Fleur on a thestral," said Bill. "She's not that fond of brooms."******

**Fleur walked over to stand beside him, giving him a soppy, slavish look that Harry hoped with all his heart would never appear on his face again.**

Fleur blushed a little while the others laughed.****

**"Miss Granger with Kingsley, again by thestral- "**

"Sorry Harry." Said Hermione, smirking.

Harry snorted at her.****

**Hermione looked reassured as she answered Kingsley's smile; Harry knew that Hermione too lacked confidence on a broomstick.**

"Sorry, 'Mione." Said Harry cheekily.****

**"Which leaves you and me, Ron!" said Tonks brightly, knocking over a mug tree as she waved at him.******

**Ron did not look quite as pleased as Hermione.**

"I'm most offended." Said Tonks.

"You know I didn't mean it like that, Tonks."****

**"An' you're with me, Harry. That all righ'?" said Hagrid, looking a little anxious. "We'll be on the bike, brooms an' thestrals can't take me weight, see. Not a lot o' room on the seat with me on it, though, so you'll be in the sidecar."******

**"That's great," said Harry, not altogether truthfully.******

**"We think the Death Eaters will expect you to be on a broom," said Moody, who seemed to guess how Harry was feeling. "Snape's had plenty of time to tell them everything about you **

Severus muffled a whimper by biting the inside of his mouth.

**he's never mentioned before, so if we do run into any Death Eaters, we're betting they'll choose one of the Potters who looks at home on a broomstick. All right then," he went on, tying up the sack with the fake Potters' clothes in it and leading the way back to the door, "I make it three minutes until we're supposed to leave. No point locking the back door, it won't keep the Death Eaters out when they come looking. Come on ..."******

**Harry hurried to gather his rucksack, Firebolt, and Hedwig's cage and followed the group to the dark back garden.******

**On every side broomsticks were leaping into hands; Hermione had already been helped up onto a great black thestral by Kingsley,**

Harry felt a pang of jealousy mixed with sadness while Kingsley felt disappointed; he wouldn't be taking Harry. Blue eyes reflected the same as Harry's.

**Fleur onto the other by Bill. Hagrid was standing ready beside the motorbike, goggles on.******

**"Is this it? Is this Sirius's bike?"******

**"The very same," said Hagrid, beaming down at Harry. "An' the last time yeh was on it, Harry, I could fit yeh in one hand!"**

"You were quite adorable, Harry." Said Minerva, remembering clearly when she had had Harry for the first time in her arms.

"Quite adorable? More likely to be the cutest thing on earth!" exclaimed Sirius, much to Harry's mortification. The girls cooed under their breaths but didn't say anything else.****

**Harry could not help but feel a little humiliated as he got into the sidecar. It placed him several feet below everybody else: Ron smirked at the sight of him sitting there like a child in a bumper car. **

Harry threw a pillow to Ron, which hit him square in the face. Ginny laughed out loud.

**Harry stuffed his rucksack and broomstick down by his feet and rammed Hedwig's cage between his knees. He was extremely uncomfortable.******

**"Arthur's done a bit o' tinkerin'," said Hagrid, quite oblivious to Harry's discomfort. He settled himself astride the motorcycle, which creaked slightly and sank inches into the ground. "It's got a few tricks up its sleeves now. Tha' one was my idea." He pointed a thick finger at a purple button near the speedometer.******

**"Please be careful, Hagrid." said Mr. Weasley, who was standing beside them, holding his broomstick. "I'm still not sure that was advisable and it's certainly only to be used in emergencies."******

**"All right, then." said Moody. "Everyone ready, please. I want us all to leave at exactly the same time or the whole point of the diversion's lost."******

**Everybody motioned their heads. "Hold tight now, Ron," said Tonks, and Harry saw Ron throw a forcing, guilty look at Lupin before placing his hands on each side of her waist.**

Remus growled playfully before smiling at Ron, who smiled back.

**Hagrid kicked the motorbike into life: It roared like a dragon, and the sidecar began to vibrate.******

**"Good luck, everyone," shouted Moody. "See you all in about an hour at the Burrow. On the count of three. One ... two . THREE."**

Everyone leaned on their seats, immersed in the story.****

**There was a great roar from the motorbike, and Harry felt the sidecar give a nasty lurch. He was rising through the air fast, his eyes watering slightly, hair whipped back off his face. Around him brooms were soaring upward too; the long black tail of a thestral flicked past. His legs, jammed into the sidecar by Hedwig's cage and his rucksack, were already sore and starting to go numb. So great was his discomfort that he almost forgot to take a last glimpse of number four Privet Drive. By the time he looked over the edge of the sidecar he could no longer tell which one it was.******

**And then, out of nowhere, out of nothing, they were surrounded. **

Harry paled and clanged on Kingsley's hand for dear life. His eyes big as saucers and mouth slightly agape.

**At least thirty hooded figures, suspended in midair, formed a vast circle in the middle of which the Order members had risen, oblivious-**

Molly whimpered against Arthur's chest, fear gripping her heart fiercely.

**Screams, a blaze of green light on every side:**

Everyone shuddered at that.

**Hagrid gave a yell and the motorbike rolled over. Harry lost any sense of where they were. Streetlights above him, yells around him, he was clinging to the sidecar for dear life. Hedwig's cage, the Firebolt, and his rucksack slipped from beneath his knees-******

**"No- HELP!"******

**The broomstick spun too, but he just managed to seize the strap of his rucksack and the top of the cage as the motorbike swung the right way up again. A second's relief, and then another burst of green light. **

Harry was trembling like he had a cold bath in the middle of December. His eyes shined with unshed tears, and Kingsley hugged him to his chest, rocking him gently. Hermione and Ron were also pale, but Hermione seemed close to a panic attack. Sirius hid his face in Severus' hair, trying to block all the blood curling images in his mind.

**The owl screeched and fell to the floor of the cage.**

"NOOOOO!" yelled Harry before breaking down in front of their eyes. Harry couldn't see as his glasses were askew and tears made everything blurry. He felt his body go limp and his knees touched the floor. Hermione was sobbing in a blue handkerchief, courtesy of Percy, while Ginny was buried in Charlie's arms. Tonks looked sadly at Harry while Remus and Sirius shared a forlorn look.

Then a swirl of pure magic engulfed Harry. The magic tornado made everyone snap of their thoughts. Kingsley, who had tried to get Harry in the couch, tried to get near Harry but without avail, he was just pushed back into the couch. Then Severus stood and incredibly managed to engulf Harry in a hug. The teenager first struggled to get out of the embrace, but then went limp against Severus' chest, sobs wracking his body and cries of utter despair making everyone's hearts break.

"NO, NO, NO, NO!" he cried for a long time. Severus just held him and whispered words that made the dark haired young man relax until he fell asleep. Severus looked at Kingsley and the bald man understood; he stood up and sat next to Sirius, who looked close to tears himself. Severus sat with Harry on his lap and with a hand motioned Moody to continue reading. Moody cleared his throat before resuming the reading.****

**"No- NO!"******

**The motorbike zoomed forward; Harry glimpsed hooded Death Eaters scattering as Hagrid blasted through their circle.******

**"Hedwig- Hedwig- "**

Harry snuggled closer to Severus, whimpering slightly.****

**But the owl lay motionless and pathetic as a toy on the floor of her cage. **

Hermione gave a loud sob at that. Percy, who was seated on another couch, stood at sat at the feet of Hermione's couch, patting her knee.

**He could not take it in, and his terror for the others was paramount. He glanced over his shoulder and saw a mass of people moving, flares of green light, two pairs of people on brooms soaring off into the distance, but he could not tell who they were –**

******"Hagrid, we've got to go back, we've got to go back!" he yelled over the thunderous roar of the engine, pulling out his wand, ramming Hedwig's cage into the floor, refusing to believe that she was dead. "Hagrid, TURN AROUND!"**

"Oh, Harry…" whispered Molly, puffy eyed and red nosed.****

**"My job's ter get you there safe, Harry!" bellow Hagrid, and he opened the throttle. **

"Thank you, Hagrid." Said Sirius, bowing his head, holding much more respect for the half-giant than before.

**"Stop- STOP!" Harry shouted, but as he looked back again two jets of green light flew past his left ear: **

Kingsley and pretty much everyone else gave a sharp intake of breath at that.

**Four Death Eaters had broken away from the circle and were pursuing them, aiming for Hagrid's broad back. Hagrid swerved, but the Death Eaters were keeping up with the bike; more curses shot after them, and Harry had to sink low into the sidecar to avoid them. **

Both Sirius', Kisngley's and Remus' knuckles were white as they clutched the arms of the couch.

**Wriggling around he cried, "Stupefy!" and a red bolt of light shot from his own wand, cleaving a gap between the four pursuing Death Eaters as they scattered to avoid it.**

Fleur gave a small sigh of relief.****

**"Hold on, Harry, this'll do for 'em!" roared Hagrid, and Harry looked up just in time to see Hagrid slamming a thick finger into a green button near the fuel gauge. A wall, a solid black wall, erupted out of the exhaust pipe. Craning his neck, Harry saw it expand into being in midair. Three of the Death Eaters swerved and avoided it, but the fourth was not so lucky; He vanished from view and then dropped like a boulder from behind it, his broomstick broken into pieces. One of his fellows slowed up to save him, but they and the airborne wall were swallowed by darkness as Hagrid leaned low over the handlebars and sped up.******

**More Killing Curses flew past Harry's head from the two remaining Death Eaters' wands; they were aiming for Hagrid. Harry responded with further Stunning Spells: Red and green collided in midair in a shower of multicolored sparks, and Harry thought wildly of fireworks, and the Muggles below who would have no idea what was happening-******

**"Here we go again, Harry, hold on!" yelled Hagrid, and he jabbed at a second button. This time a great net burst from the bike's exhaust, but the Death Eaters were ready for it. Not only did they swerve to avoid it, but the companion who had slowed to save their unconscious friend had caught up. He bloomed suddenly out of the darkness and now three of them were pursuing the motorbike, all shooting curses after it.******

**"This'll do it, Harry, hold on tight!" yelled Hagrid, and Harry saw him slam his whole hand onto the purple button beside the speedometer.******

**With an unmistakable bellowing roar, dragon fire burst from the exhaust, white-hot and blue, and the motorbike shot forward like a bullet with a sound of wrenching metal. **

Even in a mournful and anxious state, Charlie brightened a bit at the dragon themed motorbike.

**Harry saw the Death Eaters swerve out of sight to avoid the deadly trail of flame, and at the same time felt the sidecar sway ominously: Its metal connections to the bike had splintered with the force of acceleration.******

**"It's all righ', Harry!" bellowed Hagrid, now thrown flat onto the back by the surge of speed; nobody was steering now, and the sidecar was starting to twist violently in the bike's slipstream.**

"Oh my God!" Molly cried, quite edgy and anxious.

******"I'm on it, Harry, don' worry!" Hagrid yelled, and from inside his jacket pocket he pulled his flowery pink umbrella.******

**"Hagrid! No! Let me!"******

**"REPARO!"******

**There was a deafening bang and the sidecar broke away from the bike completely. Harry sped forward, propelled by the impetus of the bike's flight, then the sidecar began to lose height-**

Severus' grip tightened on Harry's lithe form. Percy's hand froze on Hermione's knee, who had soaked the handkerchief.****

**In desperation Harry pointed his wand at the sidecar and shouted, "Wingardium Leviosa!"**

Ron made a funny noise, remembering how well that spell had been against the troll, six years ago.  
**  
****The sidecar rose like a cork, unsteerable but at least still airborne.**

Sirius released his breath through gritted teeth. Arthur gained a little color and Remus' eyes were amber now.

**He had but a split second's relief, however, as more curses streaked past him: The three Death Eaters were closing in.******

**"I'm comin', Harry!" Hagrid yelled from out of the darkness, but Harry could feel the sidecar beginning to sink again: Crouching as low as he could, he pointed at the middle of the oncoming figures and yelled, "Impedimenta!"******

**The jinx hit the middle Death Eater in the chest; For a moment the man was absurdly spread-eagled in midair as though he had hit an invisible barrier: One of his fellows almost collided with him- Then the sidecar began to fall in earnest, and the remaining Death Eater shot a curse so close to Harry that he had to duck below the rim of the car, knocking out a tooth on the edge of his seat-******

**"I'm comin', Harry, I'm comin'!"**

"Hurry up, Hagrid!" yelled Tonks desperately, rubbing her hands frantically against her jeans.Moody's voice was strained.****

**A huge hand seized the back of Harry's robes and hoisted him out of the plummeting sidecar; Harry pulled his rucksack with him as he dragged himself onto the motorbike's seat and found himself back-to-back with Hagrid. As they soared upward, away from the two remaining Death Eaters, Harry spat blood out of his mouth, pointed his wand at the falling sidecar, and yelled, "Confringo!"******

**He knew a dreadful, gut-wrenching pang for Hedwig as it exploded; **

Harry gave a shuddering breath.

**the Death Eater nearest it was blasted off his broom and fell from sight; his companion fell back and vanished.******

**"Harry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," moaned Hagrid, "I shouldn'ta tried ter repair it meself- yeh've got no room- "******

**"It's not a problem, just keep flying!" Harry shouted back, as two more Death Eaters emerged out of the darkness, drawing closer.******

**As the curses came shooting across the intervening space again, Hagrid swerved and zigzagged: Harry knew that Hagrid did not dare use the dragon-fire button again, with Harry seated so insecurely. Harry sent Stunning Spell after Stunning Spell back at their pursuers, barely holding them off. He shot another blocking jinx at them: The closest Death Eater swerved to avoid it and his hood slipped, and by the red light of his next Stunning Spell, Harry saw the strangely blank face of Stanley Shunpike- Stan-**

"What!?" exclaimed Charlie, not quite believing it. How on Earth did Stan was a Death Eater?****

**"Expelliarmus!" Harry yelled.**

"No, Harry!" exclaimed Hermione, startling Percy and Ron. "That spell is becoming your trademark spell! They'll recognize you!" cried Hermione, and Percy didn't care if anyone glared at him as he grabbed her hand and started rubbing with his thumb the back of it.Tension just doubled at the statement.****

**"That's him, it's him, it's the real one!"******

**The hooded Death Eater's shout reached Harry even above the thunder of the motorbike's engine: Next moment, both pursuers had fallen back and disappeared from view.******

**"Harry, what's happened?" bellowed Hagrid. "Where've they gone?"******

**"I don't know!"******

**But Harry was afraid: The hooded Death Eater had shouted, "It's the real one!"; how had he known? He gazed around at the apparently empty darkness and felt its menace. Where were they?******

**He clambered around on the seat to face forward and seized hold of the back of Hagrid's jacket.******

**"Hagrid, do the dragon-fire thing again, let's get out of here!"******

**"Hold on tight, then, Harry!"******

**There was a deafening, screeching roar again and the white-blue fire shot from the exhaust: Harry felt himself slipping backwards off what little of the seat he had. Hagrid flung backward upon him, barely maintaining his grip on the handlebars- "I think we've lost 'em Harry, I think we've done it!" yelled Hagrid.**

Fleur sighed again, while Minerva narrowed her eyes.****

**But Harry was not convinced; Fear lapped at him as he looked left and right for pursuers he was sure would come... Why had they fallen back? One of them had still had a wand... It's him... it's the real one... They had said it right after he had tried to Disarm Stan...******

**"We're nearly there, Harry, we've nearly made it!" shouted Hagrid.**

"Go, go , go, go…" chanted Sirius under his breath, a cold sweat on his neck.****

**Harry felt the bike drop a little, though the lights down on the ground still seemed remote as stars.******

**Then the scar on his forehead burned like fire: as a Death Eater appeared on either side of the bike, two Killing Curses missed Harry by millimeters, **

Ron looked like he was about to faint and Bill patted him on Ron's back.

**cast from behind- And then Harry saw him.**

Everyone held their breath. Moody's magical eye stooped buzzing as the next phrase.

**Voldemort was flying like smoke on the wind, without broomstick or thestral to hold him, his snake-like face gleaming out of the blackness, his white fingers raising his wand again-**

Freg and George would never tease about her mom or Ginny faint at that, as they were terrified out of their minds. Severus kept whispering "you're okay, nothing's going to happen to you, relax…" trying to calm down himself. Sirius had to tell himself that Harry was still there and he was safe. Percy didn't wince at Hermione's vice grip on his hand.  
**  
****Hagrid let out a bellow of fear and steered the motorbike into a vertical dive. Clinging on for dear life, Harry sent Stunning Spells flying at random into the whirling night. He saw a body fly past him and knew he had hit one of them, but then he heard a bang and saw sparks from the engine; the motorbike spiraled through the air, completely out of control-******

**Green jets of light shot past them again. Harry had no idea which way was up, which down: His scar was still burning; he expected to die at any second. A hooded figure on a broomstick was feet from him, he saw it raise its arm-******

**"NO!"******

**With a shout of fury Hagrid launched himself off the bike at the Death Eater; to his horror, Harry saw both Hagrid and the Death Eater, falling out of sight, their combined weight too much for the broomstick-**

No one spoke. They just sat there, frozen, not processing what Moody just read. Then…

"Oh. My. God." Whispered Hermione, eyes wide.

Moody resumed the reading immediately.  
**  
****Barely gripping the plummeting bike with his knees, Harry heard Voldemort scream, "Mine!"******

**It was over: He could not see or hear where Voldemort was; he glimpsed another Death Eater swooping out of the way and heard, "Avada- "******

**As the pain from Harry's scar forced his eyes shut, his wand acted of its own accord. **

Everyone got out from their stupor to look at Harry weirdly.

"Own accord? Wands cannot-" Percy started but Albus interrupted him.

"It can, it's almost no heard of, but it had happened, mostly to the owners of wands which it's cores have the same source." Albus explained.

"B-but Albus, Voldemort wasn't…" Minerva said, moving his hands around.

"I'm not sure about that, but I do believe it could have acted to its own accord." Said Albus and ignored the disbelieving stares.

**He felt it drag his hand around like some great magnet, saw a spurt of golden fire through his half-closed eyelids, heard a crack and a scream of fury. The remaining Death Eater yelled; Voldemort screamed, "NO!" Somehow, Harry found his nose an inch from the dragon-fire button. He punched it with his wand-free hand and the bike shot more flames into the air, hurtling straight toward the ground.******

**"Hagrid!" Harry called, holding on to the bike for dear life. "Hagrid- Accio Hagrid!"**

"I doubt that works…" said Bill slowly.

******The motorbike sped up, sucked towards the earth. Face level with the handlebars, Harry could see nothing but distant lights growing nearer and nearer: He was going to crash and there was nothing he could do about it. Behind him came another scream, "Your wand, Selwyn, give me your wand!"******

**He felt Voldemort before he saw him. Looking sideways, he stared into the red eyes and was sure they would be the last thing he ever saw: Voldemort preparing to curse him once more-******

**And then Voldemort vanished. **

Everyone sighed, relieved, and the tension evaporated slowly from the room. Ginny open one eye wearily before blinking rapidly, not wanting to know.

**Harry looked down and saw Hagrid spread-eagled on the ground below him. He pulled hard at the handlebars to avoid hitting him, groped for the brake, but with an earsplitting, ground trembling crash, he smashed into a muddy pond.**

"Harry!" cried Sirius, pale and trembling. Kingsley put an equally trembling hand on the animagus' shoulder.

"I'm sure he's okay."

"That's the end of the chapter."

"Then I suggest we go to sleep." Said Albus, standing and walking towards a hall. Everyone followed and soon Severus, Kingsley and Harry were alone.

"Better now?" asked Severus gently and Harry nodded.

"Thanks, sir." He said softly, standing and stretching, a light numbness in his limps. He looked at Kingsley.

"I'll go and see Sirius." Severus said and exited the room, giving them the needed privacy.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

I'm evil so I'll stop here until next chapter (Evil cackle)! This chapter took forever, but I'm not sure if it was boring or I had too many ideas on my head. It's 25 pages long! Longest chapter ever made! Did you got the hints in this chapter? Another pairing revealed! And there are some surprises too! Thanks to those 9 lovely reviews for the previous chapter. I want 13 for this one, and I'm sure I'll get them because I know you all want to know about Kingsley and Harry… and roommates. Oh, and I changed something in chapter 1, to be concrete the names of the ones who sent the letter. It may be seen as irrelevant but it'll be a connection to future chapters. Anyways. Until then. Kisses~


	6. Interlude

As soon as Severus left the room, silence fell over them. Harry didn't dare to look at Kingsley's eyes, so he kept his head down as he fidgeted, trying to come up with a credible excuse to go to his room.

"I like you, you know."

Harry's head shot up. Kingsley was looking at him, smiling slightly. The younger of the two flushed deeply and began to stammer.

"Me too. B-but I do not like me! Is not that I don't love myself, I love myself- but I'm not arrogant, it's just-" Harry rambled, blushing at each word he said. Why in Merlin's left testicle couldn't he just shut up?

Kingsley chuckled, his deep voice giving him the 'honeyglows', as Hermione had said when Harry blushed at seeing the naked torso of a seventh year Ravenclaw in Quidditch practice. The the bald man started walking towards Harry, and Harry became speechless when Kingsley cupped his face on his hands.

"Take a deep breath and relax." Said Kingsley

"I could if you weren't this close. Merlin knows I can barely breathe." Harry grumbled under his breath, and Kingsley didn't hear it. He took a deep breath, trying to pull himself together. "Okay… Kingsley, I…I like you, a lot. I've wanted to tell you this but I thought you'd put me down because you may think I'm dumb or something and that would have killed me-" he stopped when he saw the look on Kingsley's face.

Kingsley looked at him surprised. Harry just swallowed the butterfly that had traveled from his stomach to his throat. His fingers were tingly and he had the urge to hide behind the couch.

"I hope that this is the only time I tell you this Harry. You are one of the most beautiful persons I've know in my life, and believe me I had met a lot of people. You're kind, funny, objective, noble, brave, loyal, ambitious and more." Harry was blushing madly, his eyes twinkling like Dumbledore. "I like you too a lot, and I wanted to have something with you, if you want."

Harry gasped. "Are you crazy?!" Kingsley felt himself pale a little. He had the feeling everything had gone the wrong. "I-I'd love to! I-" Harry beamed at him, grabbing his hand and squeezing it tight. Kingsley felt himself grin too. "OhmyGod!" Harry whispered to himself, to then launch himself at the bald wizard and hugged the daylights out of him. Kingsley didn't hesitated to return the hug. Thy stayed like that for some minutes before they broke apart.

"May I kiss you?" Asked Kingsley softy, cradling Harry's face with his hands. Harry's breath hitched and the nodded slowly.

As soon as they lips connected Harry saw fireworks behind his eyelids, and he rested his weight on Kingsley before he crashed to the floor. The lack of oxygen made them a little dizzy but neither wanted to let go, that is until Harry had to broke apart, hyperventilating.

"Wow." He breathed, trying to gain the feeling in his legs.

"Indeed." Said Kingsley amused. "As much I'd want to stay here with you, we need to rest, as we have to read the book tomorrow."

"Don't want to." Pouted Harry, crossing his arms and leaning his face in Kingsley's chest blushing when he felt a really good formed one.

'Oh my wizard god…' Harry thought.

"Come on, love." Said Kingsley.

Harry sighed over dramatically, fighting the blush in his neck at the nickname.

"Okay, goodnight then, Kings." Harry recited then to peck Kingsley in the cheek and dash to the rooms. He swore he heard Kingsley laugh.

He saw six rooms. The first one said 'Albus & Minerva', the next one 'Molly and Arthur' and the third one 'Moody'. Across them they were the other three; 'F,T,H,G.', and Harry deduced it was the girls one, then 'K,S,S,R.' and the biggest one, 'H,R,F,G,P,C,B'. He entered in that one and was assaulted by the noise in there.

"Mate close that door!" Said Ron, while dodging a pillow. Harry closed it immediately and to his amusement they were having a pillow fight. They were three cabins in the room, in every corner, except the one were the door was. Trunks were at the feet of these, and food and drinks were in the floor.

"Harry! You dog! How did it go?" Asked Bill and everyone stopped the fight to listen to Harry.

"I confessed, he confessed, we kissed and we are a couple." Said Harry nonchalantly, checking his nails. He was swiped from his feet as the twins carried him on their shoulders.

"You are all grown up!" They sang, and Harry roared with laughter as Bill, Charlie, Percy and Ron did they victory dance.

"We have to celebrate!" Exclaimed Charlie, claiming everyones attention.

"How?" Asked George, smirking.

"Well, we are lucky I always carry a bottle of Odgen's finest and Firewhiskey with me in case of emergencies like this.

"I think we shouldn't…" said Percy unsure, and Bill clapped him in the back.

"Brother of mine, we have to celebrate!" He conjured some glassed and Charlie poured a copious amount in each one. Everyone raised theirs.

"To Harry!" Said Fred

"To Harry!" chorused the others and drank avidly. Everyone wooed or shook their head, laughing.

-o-o-o-o-o

When Kingsley opened the door of his room the first thing he saw was Severus, Sirius and Remus talk on the floor, cross-legged.

"Kingsley, my man! Come here, join us!" Exclaimed Sirius, opening his arms. Remus snorted and Severus rolled his eyes.

"What happened?" Asked Severus, curiously.

"We are officially a couple." Remus cheered and Severus patted him on the back.

"As much as I'm happy for you, I must proceed with the traditional threat." Said Sirius and cleared his throat. Remus took a solemn air and Severus sniggered behind his hand. "Kingsley Shacklebot, I swear on my Chudley Cannons' autographed poser and the Marauders Map that if you ever harm Harry in anyway I'll rip your balls and feed them to Buckbeak, then torture you until Moony stops me."

"To do it myself." Said Remus sternly and then bursted into laughter. Sirius soon followed. "Okay now, we where playing 'I've never'. Wanna join?" Asked Remus.

Kingsley then noticed the three bottles of Firewhiskey and the glasses on the floor.

"Sure." Kingsley shrugged and Sirius put a glass with amber liquid in front of him. "I'm surprised you accepted, Severus."

"Yes, well they threatened to tickle me to death." said Severus giving the 'evil eye' at the Marauders, who grinned.

"Okay! I've never… made out with someone in a teacher's classroom!" Remus exclaimed and then took a big gulp from the glass, and everyone followed. They looked at Severus questioningly.

"Okay, parties at Slytherin common room were pretty wild and we moved to classroom to have more 'privacy'." Explained Severus amused. Sirius looked a little jealous but shrugged it.

"And you, Kingsley? I never saw you as that type." mused Remus.

"I may have been a Ravenclaw and liked to follow ruled but I had my way with boys, and being a prefect had its perks."

-o-o-o-o-o-o

Soon in both rooms the alcohol disappeared and everyone was way more than a little tipsy. Percy started singing 'I Will Survive', while the twins were in a heated making our session and Charlie was laughing his ass off with Bill, while Harry and Ron were looking at each other amazed.

"You have freckles!" exclaimed Harry roaring with laughter.

"OhmyMerlin you have four eyes! What are you?" Said Ron horrified.

"I'm… Batman!" Said Harry and Ron laughed.

"What the bloody hell is that?" asked Charlie, pointing an accusatory finger at the floor. Five pairs of eyes followed his finger (as Fred and George were still making out) and saw something which made their blood ran cold.

"I-is it-t a s-s-pide-e-er?" asked Bill, paling a little. Ron scrambled to his feet and climbed the cabin. Once there he screamed and then fainted.

"Kill it! " screeched Charlie.

"No! Harry, you kill it!" Bill said. Harry just shook his head and ran to the other side of the room.

"Oh my God!" said Fred. He stood up, walked towards the spider that was no bigger than his thumb and squashed it. Then he walked to George and resumed their kissing.

Harry and Charlie looked at each other and burst to tears, while Percy was singing 'My Heart Will Go On'.

In the other room, it wasn't better.

Sirius was having a pillow fight with Remus, while Severus was looking intently at the empty bottles, talking to them from time to time. Kingsley was in his bed, not as smashed at the others, thinking how awesome it could be if a unicorn took him to it's land. Sirius won the fight and then he shouted, "IT'S TIME FOR SOME HORROR STORIES!" everyone scrambled to the floor and Remus raised his hand.

"I'll begin." He lowered his voice and everyone leaned forward to hear better. "So I was walking in Diaggon Alley like a week ago, looking for some pink ink for me and some blue for Tonks. Normally I go to Hogsmeade because it's cheaper but that day I felt rebel. Anyways, I was walking through some dark corners and something shiny caught my eye." There was a minute of silence in which everyone fidgeted and Remus continues, voice trembling. "I came near and to my horror…." He took a shuddering breath "I saw Hagrid having his wicked way with some poor blond guy." Everyone blanched and said a collective 'No!' "Yes! And it gets worse. He saw me and asked me if I wanted to join." Sirius was trembling and Severus had his face hidden in Kingsley's robe.

"Dude, that was scary as hell." Said Kingsley.

"Okay! Who's next?"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Next morning, all the guys were sporting sunglasses and had a cup of coffee in their hands. Sirius was unashamedly sprawled over Severus' lap in a loveseat, snoring lightly until Tonks kicked his lightly on the leg. He woke with a start only to moan and cuddle with Severus, who was blushing.

"What the hell happened to you?" asked Hermione and Tonks.

"God Hermione don't shout!" half of them said.

"We… celebrated." Said Sirius.

"And pray tell, Sirius Orion Black, what did you celebrated about?" asked Minerva sternly. Sirius winced.

"Well that my godson here is in a relationship with Kingsley." said smiling brightly. Hermione and Ginny squealed, to the boys' horror, and launched at Harry, who ended up in the floor.

"Oh my God! This is soo exciting!" said Giny while standing. Harry picked himself up and groaned.

"Careful with my boyfriend please." Smirked Kingsley as he passed an arm around Harry's waist and pecked his cheek. Tonks cooed but restrain the two fangirls.

"Could someone explain me why is so bright?" Charlie moaned, gripping his mug tightly.

"Because you have a hangover. We all have. Severus, you are a Potion Master, don't you have potions with you?" asked Remus.

"I only have two. Maybe I could have more if I wouldn't have been brought here without notice."

"Okay, who will take the potions?" asked Fred, ready to jump.

"I say we split into two groups of six people and each group takes a potion. Each person take a sip and that's it." Suggested Tonks. Soon all guys were feeling a little better, as the pounding headache was gone.

"I say we move to read the next chapter." Said Albus, chuckling slightly at the boys who said how tiring was moving from the kitchen to the living room.

After they all settled Bill took the book and opened in the marked page. He paled immediately when he read the title.

"What's wrong, Bill?" asked Arthur.

Bill shook his head.

"Chapter five: **Fallen Warrior**." He said firmly before starting to read.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

I'm not even going to make an excuse. I'm SO sorry for the delay but I just didn't know how to make this work. I hate this chapter, but please review to let me know what you think of this! I'm not going to ask for an exact amount of reviews because I think I don't deserve to. Anyways, the next chapter should be up by Saturday, and I'm going to develop the other relationships too. Kisses


	7. The Fallen Warrior

Nobody made a sound and Bill started to read.

**"Hagrid?"**

"Don't let it be Hagrid!" Hermione prayed.

**Harry struggled to raise himself out of the debris of metal and leather that surrounded him; his hands sank into inches of muddy water as he tried to stand.**

"Ew." Sirius was wrinkled his nose.

Remus and Severus snorted.

"What?" asked Sirius, confused.

"Unbelievable – the messiest person I've ever met is concerned about muddy hands," Remus shook his head, clearly amused.

"But they're horrid, muddy hands. They're all slimy and yucky and you can't touch anything otherwise it gets all muddy and slimy as well." Sirius said matter-of-factly.

Severus laughed lightly, followed by most of the room. Remus winked at Sirius and the animagus smiled, both to Severus and Remus.

**He could not understand where Voldemort had gone and expected him to swoop out of the darkness at any moment. Something hot and wet was trickling down his chin and from his forehead.**

"There you go again, bleeding." Said Ron, amused. Harry stuck his tongue at him.

"So many words to say it was blood." Charlie mused

"It's to make it more exciting." Tonks told her best friend.

**He crawled out of the pond and stumbled toward the great dark mass on the ground that was Hagrid.**

**"Hagrid? Hagrid, talk to me –"**

**But the dark mass did not stir.**

"Be nice to Hagrid, Harrykins." Mock-scolded Fred, waving a finger at him. And, as he intended, the tension eased a little.

"I'll remember that, mother. Thank you." Said Harry sarcastically, and Ron snorted.

**"Who's there? Is it Potter? Are you Harry Potter?"**

**Harry did not recognize the man's voice.**

"That's not good." Murmured Mad-Eye.

"I bet they are Tonk's parents." Said Fleur, surprising most of the room. She hasn't talked in a while.

**Then a woman shouted. "They've crashed Ted! Crashed in the garden!**"

Kingsley sighed in relief. Tonks cheered for her parents.

**Harry's head was swimming.**

**"Hagrid," he repeated stupidly, and his knees buckled.**

**The next thing he knew, he was lying on his back on what felt like cushions, with a burning sensation in his ribs and right arm. His missing tooth had been re-grown. The scar on his forehead was still throbbing.**

**"Hagrid?"**

"How many times has Harry said that this chapter?" mused Ginny aloud. Arthur smiled slightly.

**He opened his eyes and saw that he was lying on a sofa in an unfamiliar, lamp-lit sitting room. His rucksack lay on the floor a short distance away, wet and muddy.**

The Trio, Remus and Severus snorted at Sirius' disgruntled expression.

**A fair-haired, big-bellied man**

Sirius doubled over laughing, while Tonks was rolling on the floor

"Hit square in the nail!" he snorted. "Big-bellied? I'm sure Andy _loves_that!"

"I have to tell that to my dad!" Tonks was wheezing, trying to settle on the couch again.

**was watching Harry anxiously.**

**"Hagrid's fine, son," said the man,**

"Oh, thank Merlin," Molly breathed, and Harry who had not talked or moved much slumped against the sofa.

**"the wife's seeing to him now. How are you feeling? Anything else broken? I've fixed your ribs, your tooth, and your arm. I'm Ted, by the way, Ted Tonks – Dora's father."**

"Moony's in-laws," Sirius said, grinning like a loon. Then he suddenly jumped, scaring the life of Severus, who almost fell. "That means we are finally family, Moony! We are cousins now!" Remus couldn't help but to beam at Sirius, the corner of his eyes crinkling. Sirius got up and crushed Remus in one of the biggest hugs he had given anyone ever. He quickly put it next to Tonks and when he seated next to Severus, the professor glared at him.

"You scared me." He whispered angrily. Sirius' smile faded a little.

"Sorry Sev." Said Sirius and he kissed his cheek. Severus blushed and hid his face in Sirius' shoulders.

**Harry sat up too quickly. Lights popped in front of his eyes and he felt sick and giddy.**

**"Voldemort –"**

**"Easy, now," said Ted Tonks, placing a hand on Harry's shoulder and pushing him back against the cushions.**

**"That was a nasty crash you just had. What happened, anyway? Something go wrong with the bike? Arthur Weasley overstretch himself again, him and his Muggle contraptions?"**

"No," said the Weasleys defensively, and Arthur smiled.

**"No," said Harry, as his scar pulsed like an open wound. "Death Eaters, loads of them – we were chased –"**

**"Death Eaters?" said Ted sharply. "What d'you mean, Death Eaters?**

**I thought they didn't know you were being moved tonight, I thought –"**

**"They knew," said Harry.**

**Ted Tonks looked up at the ceiling as though he could see through it to the sky above.**

**"Well, we know our protective charms hold, then, don't we? They shouldn't be able to get within a hundred yards of the place in any direction."**

Sirius and Tonks cheered for Ted again.

"So that's why they went poof!" said Ron. Hermione looked at him like he was an idiot and shook her head.

**Now Harry understood why Voldemort had vanished; it had been at the point when the motorbike crossed the barrier of the Order's charms. He only hoped they would continue to work: he imagined Voldemort, a hundred yards above them as they spoke, looking for a way to penetrate what Harry visualized as a great transparent bubble.**

**He swung his legs off the sofa; he needed to see Hagrid with his own eyes before he would believe that he was alive.**

Minerva smiled at that. Lily had been exactly the same.

**He had barely stood up, however, when a door opened and Hagrid squeezed through it, his face covered in mud and blood, limping a little but miraculously alive.**

Everyone except Dumbledore, Moody and Severus cheered, Harry being the loudest.

**"Harry!"**

**Knocking over two delicate tables and an aspidistra,**

"My mom will have an attack. She never let me play near that damn plant." Huffed Tonks.

**he covered the floor between them in two strides and pulled Harry into a hug that nearly cracked his newly repaired ribs. "Blimey, Harry, how did yeh get out o' that? I thought we were both goners."**

**"Yeah, me too. I can't believe –"**

**Harry broke off. He had just noticed the woman who had entered the room behind Hagrid.**

**"You!" he shouted, and he thrust his hand into his pocket, but it was empty.**

"Huh?" asked the younger ones in the group. Sirius and Tonks looked at each other and aah'ed.

**"Your wand's here, son," said Ted, tapping it on Harry's arm. "It fell right beside you, I picked it up…And that's my wife you're shouting at."**

**"Oh, I'm – I'm sorry."**

**As she moved forward into the room, Mrs. Tonks's resemblance to her sister Bellatrix became much less pronounced:**

Siris growled lowly, trying to contain himself, while Remus and Harry were fighting more for self-control. Severus grabbed Sirius' hand in his, the smugness and relief he had felt back then when he heard Black had died because of Bellatrix were non-existen in his now grief. Sirius pulled him closer, sensing his discomfort.

**Her hair was a light soft brown and her eyes were wider and kinder. Nevertheless, she looked a little haughty after Harry's exclamation.**

"Of course she would, she despises looking so much like dear Bellatrix" said Moody gruffly. The escape of the Azkaban prisoners was a touchy subject for him. He had spent 20 years of his life imprisoning the scum that was now tormenting the society.

**"What happened to our daughter?" she asked. "Hagrid said you were ambushed; where is Nymphadora?"**

Tonks huffed exasperatedly at her full name, while Remus furrowed his brows in worry.

**"I don't know," said Harry. "We don't know what happened to anyone else."**

Tension seemed to build in the room with that one sentence. They had completely forgotten then name of the chapter – and if Hagrid wasn't the fallen warrior, who was? Remus was being glanced at uneasily. Actually everyone was looking around the room terrified.

**She and Ted exchanged looks. A mixture of fear and guilt gripped Harry at the sight of their expressions, if any of the others had died, it was his fault, all his fault. He had consented to the plan, given them his hair . . .**

"Oh, bullshit," snapped Ron, ignoring the shocked looks of his parents, or the amused ones from his brothers. "Harry, I hope that this is the effing last time I tell you this, okay? Not everything that happens is your fault. Shit happens! And it's not going to happens to you all the time. You simply wouldn't have known. So I I ever hear you blaming yourself for Voldemort being the fucker he is I'm going to harm you." He finished and Ginny and the twins broke into applauses.

Harry looked at him surprised, and noticed that his best friend had a deadly serious face. He looked at Hermione and she nodded. Molly and Minerva kept stunningly in silence, maybe too shocked to talk.

**"The Portkey," he said, remembering all of a sudden. "We've got to get back to the Burrow and find out – then we'll be able to send you word, or – or Tonks will, once she's –"**

**"Dora'll be ok, 'Dromeda," said Ted. "She knows her stuff, she's been in plenty of tight spots with the Aurors. The Portkey's through here," he added to Harry. "It's supposed to leave in three minutes, if you want to take it."**

**"Yeah, we do," said Harry. He seized his rucksack, swung it onto his shoulders. "I –"**

**He looked at Mrs. Tonks, wanting to apologize for the state of fear in which he left her and for which he felt so terribly responsible, but no words occurred to him that he did not seem hollow and insincere…**

**"I'll tell Tonks – Dora – to send word, when she . . . Thanks for patching us up, thanks for everything, I –"**

"Just go Harry, you sound like a complete idiot," Charlie spoke up. A quick glance towards Remus told him that he also had the same opinion.

**He was glad to leave the room and follow Ted Tonks along a short hallway and into a bedroom. Hagrid came after them, bending low to avoid hitting his head on the door lintel.**

**"There you go, son.**

"He has an obsession of saying 'son'" asked Fleur.

Sirius shrugged. "He's very paternal."

**That's the Portkey."**

**Mr. Tonks was pointing to a small, silver-backed hairbrush lying on the dressing table.**

**"Thanks," said Harry, reaching out to place a finger on it, ready to leave.**

**"Wait a moment," said Hagrid, looking around. "Harry, where's Hedwig?"**

Everyone winced. Harry just shuddered and held Kingsley's hand more tightly.

**Harry got a lump in his throat, Hedwig was his sole companion at the Dursleys and now she was gone.**

**"She . . . she got hit," said Harry.**

**The realization crashed over him: he felt ashamed of himself as the tears stung his eyes.**

"It's okay, Harry." Whispered Remus to himself.

**The owl had been his companion, his one great link with the magical world whenever he had been forced to return to the Dursleys.**

Sirius' and Minerva's eyes narrowed in an eerie sync.

**Hagrid reached out a great hand and patted him painfully on the shoulder.**

**"Never mind," he said gruffly, "Never mind. She had a great old life –"**

**"Hagrid!" said Ted Tonks warningly, as the hairbrush glowed bright blue, and Hagrid only just got his forefinger to it in time.**

**With a jerk behind the navel as though an invisible hook and line had dragged him forward, Harry was pulled into nothingness,**

"Well, that's one way to describe it," commented Remus, amused.

**spinning uncontrollably, his finger glued to the Portkey as he and Hagrid hurtled away from Mr. Tonks. Second later, Harry's feet slammed onto hard ground and he fell onto his hands and knees in the yard of the Burrow. He heard screams.**

Tension doubled, and was now as thick as a potion.

**Throwing aside the no longer glowing hairbrush, Harry stood up, swaying slightly, and saw Mrs. Weasley and Ginny running down the steps by the back door**

Sighs of relief were heard around the room

**as Hagrid, who had also collapsed on landing, clambered laboriously to his feet.**

**"Harry? You are the real Harry? What happened? Where are the others?" cried Mrs. Weasley.**

**"What d'you mean? Isn't anyone else back?" Harry panted.**

Molly covered her mouth with a trembling hand.

**The answer was clearly etched in Mrs. Weasley's pale face.**

**"The Death Eaters were waiting for us," Harry told her, "We were surrounded the moment we took off – they knew it was tonight – I don't know what happened to anyone else, four of them chased us, it was all we could do to get away, and then Voldemort caught up with us –"**

**He could hear the self-justifying note in his voice, the plea for her to understand why he did not know what had happened to her sons, but –**

**"Thank goodness you're all right," she said, pulling him into a hug he did not feel he deserved.**

"You deserved it." Said Arthur, whi had been quiet most of the reading, sending a fatherly smile at Harry.

**"Haven't go' any brandy, have yeh, Molly?" asked Hagrid a little shakily, "Fer medicinal purposes?"**

"Medical puerposes, sure…" Bill snorted.

**She could have summoned it by magic, but as she hurried back toward the crooked house, Harry knew that she wanted to hide her face. He turned to Ginny and she answered his unspoken plea for information at once.**

**"Ron and Tonks should have been back first, but they missed their Portkey, it came back without them," she said, pointing at a rusty oil can lying on the ground nearby. "And that one," she pointed at an ancient plimsoll, "should have been Dad and Fred's, they were supposed to be second. You and Hagrid were third and," she checked her watch, "if they made it, George and Lupin ought to be back in about a minute."**

"Ohmygoodness…" whispered most of the people, feeling as a cold finger of fear caressed their spines.

**Mrs. Weasley reappeared carrying a bottle of brandy, which she handed to Hagrid. He uncorked it and drank it straight down in one.**

The Weasleys oldest sons whistled.

**"Mum!" shouted Ginny pointing to a spot several feet away.**

**A blue light had appeared in the darkness: it grew larger and brighter, and Lupin and George appeared, spinning and then falling.**

Tonks, Remus, Sirius, Harry and the Weasleys relaxed a little in their seats. Fred pulled George closer to him.

**Harry knew immediately that there was something wrong:**

Tonks and Fred froze on the spot.

**Lupin was supporting George, who was unconscious and whose face was covered in blood.**

Fred snapped his head to look at a pale George, so white the red of his hair seemed like flames. Molly sobbed into Arthur's jacket, and Ron looked horrified as the rest of the brothers.

**Harry ran forward and seized George's legs. Together, he and Lupin carried George into the house and through the kitchen to the living room, where they laid him on the sofa.**

"Thanks, Harry, Remus." Said George.

**As the lamplight fell across George's head, Ginny gasped and Harry's stomach lurched: one of George's ears was missing.**

"HE SI MISSING WHAT!?" shouted Fred at the top of his lungs, just to run at the bathroom, bile rising in his throat, barely making it. George looked as if he was about to faint, but a frenzied Molly squeezing the air out of him made him recover a little.

Ginny was crying, the sleeves of her sweater soaked within the minute. The rest of them were looking at George's ears. Hermione grabbed onto Percy's hand again, who had moved to the free seat next to her. He tried to comfort her in vain, as his voice was wavering too much. When Fred returned, he plopped on the floor, right next to his lover and started weeping, trying to reassure his twin everything was going to be alright.

**The side of his head and neck were drenched in wet, shockingly scarlet blood.**

Fred looked like he was going to be sick again and with wobbly knees, he sat next to George.

**No sooner had Mrs. Weasley bent over her son that Lupin grabbed Harry by the upper arm and dragged him, none too gently, back into the kitchen, where Hagrid was still attempting to ease his bulk through the back door.**

**"Oi!" said Hagrid indignantly, "Le' go of him! Le' go of Harry!"**

**Lupin ignored him.**

Nobody said nothing, even Sirius who knew better than to make a poor joke.

**"What creature sat in the corner the first time that Harry Potter visited my office at Hogwarts?" he said, giving Harry a small shake. "Answer me!"**

Remus nodded, understanding what his future self was doing.

**"A – a grindylow in a tank, wasn't it?"**

Harry and Remus nodded.

**Lupin released Harry and fell back against a kitchen cupboard.**

**"Wha' was tha' about?" roared Hagrid.**

**"I'm sorry, Harry, but I had to check," said Lupin tersely. "We've been betrayed. Voldemort knew that you were being moved tonight and the only people who could have told him were directly involved in the plan. You might have been an impostor."**

"Constant vigilance!" exclaimed Moody, making them smile a little.

**"So why aren' you checkin' me?" panted Hagrid, still struggling with the door.**

**"You're half-giant," said Lupin, looking up at Hagrid. "The Polyjuice Potion is designed for human use only."**

Hermione looked a little curious at that. She didn't want to let go of Percy's hand, so she kept their hands like that. Percy didn't objected at all.

**"None of the Order would have told Voldemort we were moving tonight," said Harry. The idea was dreadful to him, he could not believe it of any of them. "Voldemort only caught up with me toward the end, he didn't know which one I was in the beginning. If he'd been in on the plan he'd have known from the start I was the one with Hagrid."**

**"Voldemort caught up with you?" said Lupin sharply. "What happened? How did you escape?"**

"You're being very short-tempered," Sirius said, surprised.

"Moony?" Suggested Tonks.

Remus shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe it's because of the situation."

**Harry explained how the Death Eaters pursuing them had seemed to recognize him as the true Harry, how they had abandoned the chase, how they must have summoned Voldemort, who had appeared just before he and Hagrid had reached the sanctuary of Tonks's parents.**

**"They recognized you? But how? What had you done?"**

**"I . . ." Harry tried to remember; the whole journey seemed like a blur of panic and confusion. "I saw Stan Shunpike . . . . You know, the bloke who was the conductor on the Knight Bus? And I tried to Disarm him instead of – well, he doesn't know what he's doing, does he? He must be Imperiused!"**

**Lupin looked aghast.**

**"Harry, the time for Disarming is past! These people are trying to capture and kill you! At least Stun if you aren't prepared to kill!"**

"And now you're encouraging underage's to kill."

Sirius' words made them chuckle a little.

**"We were hundreds of feet up! Stan's not himself, and if I Stunned him and he'd fallen, he'd have died the same as if I'd used _Avada Kedavra_!_Expelliarmus _saved me from Voldemort two years ago," Harry added defiantly.**

**Lupin was reminding him of the sneering Hufflepuff Zacharias Smith, who had jeered at Harry for wanting to teach Dumbledore's Army**

"He must be acting really annoying for you to compare him with Smith." Said Ginny.

**how to Disarm.**

**"Yes, Harry," said Lupin with painful restraint, "and a great number of Death Eaters witnessed that happening! Forgive me, but it was a very unusual move then, under the imminent threat of death. Repeating it tonight in front of Death Eaters who either witnessed or heard about the first occasion was close to suicidal!"**

**"So you think I should have killed Stan Shunpike?" said Harry angrily.**

**"Of course not," said Lupin, "but the Death Eaters – frankly, most people! – would have expected you to attack back! _Expelliarmus _is a useful spell, Harry, but the Death Eaters seem to think it is your signature move, and I urge you not to let it become so!"**

**Lupin was making Harry feel idiotic, and yet there was still a grain of defiance inside him.**

**"I won't blast people out of my way just because they're there," said Harry, "That's Voldemort's job."**

"Burn!" Sirius said under his breath, and Severus chuckled slightly.

**Lupin's retort was lost: finally succeeding in squeezing through the door, Hagrid staggered to a chair and sat down; it collapsed beneath him. Ignoring his mingled oaths and apologies, Harry addressed Lupin again.**

**"Will George be okay?"**

"He will, you will," Fred said firmly.

**All Lupin's frustration with Harry seemed to drain away at the question.**

**"I think so, although there's no chance of replacing his ear, not when it's been cursed off –"**

**There was a scuffling from outside. Lupin dived for the back door; Harry leapt over Hagrid's legs and sprinted into the yard.**

**"Who's coming now?" asked Ron.**

**Two figures had appeared in the yard, and as Harry ran toward them he realized they were Hermione, now returning to her normal appearance, and Kingsley, both clutching a bent coat hanger.**

Harry slumped against the sofa, taking a deep breath in relaxation. He snuggle to Kingsley's side and kissed him in the cheek.

**Hermione flung herself into Harry's arms, but Kingsley showed no pleasure at the sight of any of them.**

"I resent that." Pouted Harry, and Kingsley half-smiled.

"Sorry, love," Kingsley said as he lifted Harry's chin and kissed him slowly, "I'm sure I'm nervous or something."

**Over Hermione's shoulder Harry saw him raise his wand and point it at Lupin's chest.**

**"The last words Albus Dumbledore spoke to the pair of us?"**

"But Polyjuice doesn't work on me…" Remus commented.

"Why not?" Ron asked, confused.

"Because it's for human use only," he told him.

"Ohh, right," said Ron, blushing.

"'_**Harry is the best hope we have. Trust him**_,'" said Lupin calmly.

**Kingsley turned his wand on Harry, but Lupin said, "It's him, I've checked!"**

**Harry sighed, frustrated at the tension described in the book.**

**"All right, all right!" said Kingsley, stowing his wand back beneath his cloak, "But somebody betrayed us! They knew, they knew it was tonight!"**

Severus shifted with guiltiness, trying to shake the non-existent glares off. Sirius whispered shooting words and held his hand, not daring to kiss him yet, less in public.

**"So it seems," replied Lupin, "but apparently they did not realize that there would be seven Harrys."**

**"Small comfort!" snarled Kingsley.**

Harry pursed his lips but didn't say anything. Kingsley sighed.

**"Who else is back?"**

**"Only Harry, Hagrid, George, and me."**

Many lips were bitten – they really could do without the constant reminders of the people who still might not be safe.

**Hermione stifled a little moan behind her hand.**

"Whom are you worried about?" asked Harry, trying to lighten the mood.

"Everyone." Hermione said and stocked his tongue, but she intertwined her thumb with Percy's. He smiled.

**"What happened to you?" Lupin asked Kingsley.**

**"Followed by five, injured two, might've killed one," Kingsley reeled off, "and we saw You-Know-Who**

**"You call him You-Know-Who? I always thought you said Voldemort," mused Ron, proud that he could said the name of the wizard.**

**as well, he joined the chase halfway through but vanished pretty quickly. Remus, he can –"**

**"Fly," supplied Harry. "I saw him too, he came after Hagrid and me."**

**"So that's why he left, to follow you!" said Kingsley, "I couldn't understand why he'd vanished. But what made him change targets?"**

**"Harry behaved a little too kindly to Stan Shunpike," said Lupin.**

"You are saying it like it's a bad thing," said Sirius a little upset. Remus flushed, ashamed.

**"Stan?" repeated Hermione. "But I thought he was in Azkaban?"**

**Kingsley let out a mirthless laugh.**

Harry looked at Kingsley weirdly.

**"Hermione, there's obviously been a mass breakout which the Ministry has hushed up. Travers's hood fell off when I cursed him, he's supposed to be inside too. But what happened to you, Remus? Where's George?"**

The twins squirmed uncomfortably.

**"He lost an ear," said Lupin.**

Molly winced.

"Sorry." Said Remus immediately, but George smiled and waved it off.

**"Lost an - ?" repeated Hermione in a high voice.**

**"Snape's work," said Lupin.**

Severus gasped and immediately everyone turned to face him. He tried to run out of the room, but Sirius firm hold made him stay on the couch. He shrunk under the glares, looks of disappointment and shock. He covered his face to not let them see him tear. Sirius bit his lip but refrained of commenting. Fred had the most murderous look on his face that anyone has ever seen.

**"_Snape_?" shouted Harry. "You didn't say –"**

**"He lost his hood during the chase. Sectumsempra was always a specialty of Snape's.**

Severus once again tried to flee.

**I wish I could say I'd paid him back in kind, but it was all I could do to keep George on the broom after he was injured, he was losing so much blood."**

**Silence fell between the four of them as they looked up at the sky. There was no sign of movement; the stars stared back, unblinking, indifferent, unobscured by flying friends. Where was Ron? Where were Fred and Mr. Weasley? Where were Bill, Fleur, Tonks, Mad-Eye, and Mundungus?**

Harry closed his eyes, wishing that everyone would be okay.

**"Harry, give us a hand!" called Hagrid hoarsely from the door, in which he was stuck again.**

**Glad of something to do, Harry pulled him free, then headed through the empty kitchen and back into the sitting room, where Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were still tending to George. Mrs. Weasley had staunched his bleeding now, and by the lamplight Harry saw a clean gaping hole where George's ear had been.**

Severus shuddered sharply, his throat tied in a knot. Fred's glare intensified.

**"How is he?"**

**Mrs. Weasley looked around and said, "I can't make it grow back, not when it's been removed by Dark Magic.**

All the Weasleys looked green at that, Fred looking the worst.

**But it could've been so much worse . . . . He's alive."**

**"Yeah," said Harry. "Thank God."**

**"Did I hear someone else in the yard?" Ginny asked.**

**"Hermione and Kingsley," said Harry.**

**"Thank goodness," Ginny whispered. They looked at each other; Harry wanted to hug her, hold on to her;**

Harry looked at the book completely shocked, his mouth slightly open. Ginny was as shocked as him, and Sirius looked over Kingsley, who had a blank look on his face, but he was gripping the arm of the couch like a vice. Harry turned to Kingsley, trying to say something. Kingsley smiled at him and kissed him slowly, making Harry relax and smile a little in return. Severus relaxed also and nudged Sirius to pay attention to Bill.

**he did not even care much that Mrs. Weasley was there, but before he could act on the impulse, there was a great crash from the kitchen.**

**"I'll prove who I am, Kingsley, after I've seen my son, now back off if you know what's good for you!"**

"You tell him dad!" said George to cheer the mood. Molly brightened a little. Now only was missing Ron, Fleur and Bill.

**"Arthur," Molly breathed in relief.**

**Harry had never heard Mr. Weasley shout like that before.**

"None of us have," said Bill.

**He burst into the living room, his bald patch gleaming with sweat, his spectacles askew, Fred right behind him, both pale but uninjured.**

**"Arthur!" sobbed Mrs. Weasley. "Oh thank goodness!"**

**"How is he?"**

**Mr. Weasley dropped to his knees beside George. For the first time since Harry had known him, Fred seemed to be lost for words.**

George hugged Fred, kissing him.

**He gaped over the back of the sofa at his twin's wound as if he could not believe what he was seeing.**

Fred tried to shake those horrible imagined images off of his head.

**Perhaps roused by the sound of Fred and their father's arrival, George stirred.**

**"How do you feel, Georgie?" whispered Mrs. Weasley.**

**George's fingers groped for the side of his head.**

Molly whimpered.

**"Saintlike," he murmured.**

"What?" was heard around the room. Sirius and Remus understood and chuckled a little, but Fred was looking at his love like he was mad.

**"What's wrong with him?" croaked Fred, looking terrified. "Is his mind affected?"**

"Nah, he was like that before." Said Charlie good naturedly.

**"Saintlike," repeated George, opening his eyes and looking up at his brother. "You see. . . I'm holy. Holey, Fred, geddit?"**

Fred was torn. He didn't know whether to laugh or burst into tears, so he chuckled.

**Mrs. Weasley sobbed harder than ever. Colour flooded Fred's pale face.**

**"Pathetic," he told George. "Pathetic! With the whole wide world of ear-related humour before you, you go for holey?"**

George smiled sadly and patted her mom in the back, who returned to her seat.

**"Ah well," said George, grinning at his tear-soaked mother. "You'll be able to tell us apart now, anyway, Mum.****"**

"I would prefer not telling you apart." she said.

**He looked around.**

**"Hi, Harry – you are Harry, right?"**

"I suppose." Said Harry slowly.

**"Yeah, I am," said Harry, moving closer to the sofa.**

**"Well, at least we got you back okay," said George. "Why aren't Ron and Bill huddled round my sickbed?"**

Fred slapped George playfully, but his hand was still shaking.

**"They're not back yet, George," said Mrs. Weasley. George's grin faded. Harry glanced at Ginny and motioned to her to accompany him back outside.**

**As they walked through the kitchen she said in a low voice.**

**"Ron and Tonks should be back by now. They didn't have a long journey; Auntie Muriel's not that far from here."**

Tonks worried her lip and look at Remus, who shook his head.

"We are fine. I know it." He whispered.

**Harry said nothing. He had been trying to keep fear at bay ever since reaching the Burrow, but now it enveloped him, seeming to crawl over his skin, throbbing in his chest, clogging his throat. As they walked down the back steps into the dark yard, Ginny took his hand.**

Harry and Ginny looked flustered. Kingsley shrugged it off.

**Kingsley was striding backward and forward, glancing up at the sky every time he turned. Harry was reminded of Uncle Vernon pacing the living room a million years ago.**

"Sorry, Kings. I promise I won't insult you again." Apologized Harry as he drew patterns in their joined hands. Kingsley just chuckled and kissed him lightly.

**Hagrid, Hermione, and Lupin stood shoulder to shoulder, gazing upward in silence. None of them looked around when Harry and Ginny joined their silent vigil.**

**The minutes stretched into what might as well have been years. The slightest breath of wind made them all jump and turn toward the whispering bush or tree in the hope that one of the missing Order members might leap unscathed from its leaves –**

**And then a broom materialized directly above them and streaked toward the ground –**

Everyone leaned expectingly.

**"It's them!" screamed Hermione.**

**Tonks landed in a long skid that sent earth and pebbles everywhere.**

"That's Dora," Sirius snorted. Tonks threw a pillow at him, but he caught it and used it for his back. The rest of them just sighed in relief and slumped a little in their seats.

**"Remus!" Tonks cried as she staggered off the broom into Lupin's arms. His face was set and white: he seemed unable to speak.**

"I'm okay love, see?" asked Tonks, rubbing Remus' arm comfortingly.

**Ron tripped dazedly toward Harry and Hermione.**

**"You're okay," he mumbled, before Hermione flew at him and hugged him tightly.**

Hermione looked a little uncomfortable while Percy looked jealous. Ron just blushed and ducked his head. Ginny wanted to tease her best friend but refrained when she saw her this uncomfortable.

**"I thought – I thought –"**

**"'M all right," said Ron, patting her on the back. "'M fine."**

**"Ron was great," said Tonks warmly, relinquishing her hold on Lupin.**

"Thanks, Tonks." Said Ron smiling a little.

"You probably did way better than described." Answered Tonks, snuggling into Remus.

**"Wonderful. Stunned one of the Death Eaters, straight to the head, and when you're aiming at a moving target from a flying broom –"**

**"You did?" said Hermione, gazing up at Ron with her arms still around his neck.**

**"Always the tone of surprise," he said a little grumpily, breaking free. "Are we the last back?"**

Ron mock-glared at Hermione and Harry.

**"No," said Ginny, "we're still waiting for Bill and Fleur and Mad-Eye and Mundungus.**

**"I'm going to tell Mum and Dad you're okay, Ron –"**

**She ran back inside.**

**"So what kept you? What happened?" Lupin sounded almost angry at Tonks.**

Tonks looked upset and a little hurt. This chapter had been the hardest so far for everyone.

**"Bellatrix," said Tonks. "She wants me quite as much as she wants Harry, Remus, She tried very hard to kill me.**

"I swear to Merlin if I ever lay hands on her I…" said Remus instantly, his eyes brightening into golden. Tonks just grabbed him by the arm.

**I just wish I'd got her, I owe Bellatrix. But we definitely injured Rodolphus . . . . Then we got to Ron's Auntie Muriel's and we missed our Portkey and she was fussing over us –"**

**A muscle was jumping in Lupin's jaw. He nodded, but seemed unable to say anything else.**

**"So what happened to you lot?" Tonks asked, turning to Harry, Hermione, and Kingsley.**

**They recounted the stories of their own journeys, but all the time the continued absence of Bill, Fleur, Mad-Eye, and Mundungus seemed to lie upon them like a frost, its icy bite harder and harder to ignore.**

The Wasleys and Tonks shifted slightly, trying to get comfortable in their worry.

**"I'm going to have to get back to Downing Street, I should have been there an hour ago," said Kingsley finally, after a last sweeping gaze at the sky. "Let me know when they're back."**

**Lupin nodded. With a wave to the others, Kingsley walked away into the darkness toward the gate. Harry thought he heard the faintest_pop_as Kingsley Disapparated just beyond the Burrow's boundaries.**

Kingsley nuzzled sadly Harry's hair, not liking one bit the idea of leaving his love after all he had been through.

**Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came racing down the back steps, Ginny behind them. Both parents hugged Ron before turning to Lupin and Tonks.**

**"Thank you," said Mrs. Weasley, "for our sons."**

**"Don't be silly, Molly," said Tonks at once.**

"Yes. We'll protect them under any cost," said Remus.

**"How's George?" asked Lupin.**

**"What's wrong with him?" piped up Ron.**

**"He's lost –"**

**But the end of Mrs. Weasley's sentence was drowned in a general outcry. A Thestral had just soared into sight and landed a few feet from them. Bill and Fleur slid from its back, windswept but unhurt.**

**"Bill! Thank God, thank God –"**

The room fell into icy silence. Some people gasped silently when they realized who was the 'Fallen Warrior'.

**Mrs. Weasley ran forward, but the hug Bill bestowed upon her was perfunctory. Looking directly at his father, he said, "Mad-Eye's dead."**

As soon as those quivering words escaped Bill's mouth Tonks turned a dangerous shade of white, her hair contrasting sharply with her papery skin. She turned to see Mad Eye give no signs of emotions and burst into tears.

**Nobody spoke, nobody moved. Harry felt as though something inside him was falling, falling through the earth, leaving him forever.**

**"We saw it," said Bill; Fleur nodded, tear tracks glittering on her cheeks in the light from the kitchen window. "It happened just after we broke out of the circle: Mad-Eye and Dung were close by us, they were heading north too. Voldemort – he can fly –went straight for them. Dung panicked, I heard him cry out, Mad-Eye tried to stop him, but he Disapparated.**

"That vile piece of human!" cried Tonks. She walked over Moody and hugged him tightly. Moody seemed off first but then relaxed and returned it gently. Tonks stood there for some minutes then returned to Remus.

**Voldemort's curse hit Mad-Eye full in the face,**

Tonks hands were tigh and her knuckles were white.

**he fell backward off his broom and – there was nothing we could do, nothing, we had half a dozen of them on our own tail –"**

**Bill's voice broke.**

It took everything within Bill for his voice not to falter.

**"Of course you couldn't have done anything," said Lupin.**

**They all stood looking at each other. Harry could not quite comprehend it. Mad-Eye dead; it could not be . . . . Mad-Eye, so tough, so brave, the consummate survivor . . .**

Moody didn't say anything, but inside he was touched by their mourning.

**At last it seemed to dawn on everyone, though nobody said it, that there was no point of waiting in the yard anymore, and in silence they followed Mr. and Mrs. Weasley back into the Burrow, and into the living room, where Fred and George were laughing together.**

Fred half-smiled.

**"What's wrong?" said Fred, scanning their faces as they entered, "What's happened? Who's -?"**

**"Mad-Eye," said Mr. Weasley, "Dead."**

**The twins' grins turned to grimaces of shock. Nobody seemed to know what to do. Tonks was crying silently into a handkerchief: she had been close to Mad-Eye, Harry knew, his favourite and his protégée at the Ministry of Magic.**

"Indeed she is," said Moody proudly and Tonks smiled at him.

**Hagrid, who had sat down on the floor in the corner where he had most space, was dabbing at his eyes with his tablecloth-sized handkerchief.**

**Bill walked over to the sideboard and pulled out a bottle of fire-whisky and some glasses.**

**"Here," he said, and with a wave of his wand, and sent twelve full glasses soaring through the room to each of them, holding the thirteenth aloft. "Mad-Eye."**

**"Mad-Eye," they all said, and drank.**

**"Mad-Eye," echoed Hagrid, a little late, with a hiccup.**

**The firewhisky seared Harry's throat. It seemed to burn feeling back into him, dispelling the numbness and sense of unreality firing him with something that was like courage.**

Charlie frowned. It wasn't courage at all.

**"So Mundungus disappeared?" said Lupin, who had drained his own glass in one.**

**The atmosphere changed at once. Everybody looked tense, watching Lupin, both wanting him to go on, it seemed to Harry, and slightly afraid of what they might hear.**

**"I know what you're thinking," said Bill, "and I wondered that too, on the way back here, because they seemed to be expecting us, didn't they? But Mundungus can't have betrayed us.**

Many threw a disbelieving look at the book.

**They didn't know there would be seven Harrys, that confused them the moment we appeared, and in case you've forgotten, it was Mundungus who suggested that little bit of skullduggery. Why wouldn't he have told them the essential point? I think Dung panicked, it's as simple as that. He didn't want to come in the first place, but Mad-Eye made him, and You-Know-Who went straight for them. It was enough to make anyone panic."**

**"You-Know-Who acted exactly as Mad-Eye expected him to," sniffed Tonks.**

**"Mad-Eye said he'd expect the real Harry to be with the toughest, most skilled Aurors. He chased Mad-Eye first, and when Mundungus gave them away he switched to Kingsley. . . . "**

Harry shivered at the thought of Voldemort chasing after Kingsley.

**"Yes, and zat eez all very good," snapped Fleur, "but still eet does not explain 'ow zey know we were moving 'Arry tonight, does eet? Somebody must 'ave been careless. Somebody let slip ze date to an outsider. It is ze only explanation for zem knowing ze date but not ze 'ole plan."**

**She glared around at them all, tear tracks still etched on her beautiful face, silently daring any of them to contradict her. Nobody did. The only sound to break the silence was that of Hagrid hiccupping from behind his handkerchief. Harry glanced at Hagrid, who had just risked his own life to save Harry's – Hagrid, whom he loved, whom he trusted, who had once been tricked into giving Voldemort crucial information in exchange for a dragon's egg. . . .**

Ron and Hermione smiled at the memory of Norbert.

"It's actually Norberta." Charlie said, and Harry laughed.

**"No," Harry said aloud, and they all looked at him, surprised: the firewhisky seemed to have amplified his voice. "I mean . . . if somebody made a mistake," Harry went on, "and let something slip, I know they didn't mean to do it. It's not their fault," he repeated, again a little louder than he would usually have spoken. "We've got to trust each other. I trust all of you, I don't think anyone in this room would ever sell me to Voldemort."**

**More silence followed his words. They were all looking at him; Harry felt a little hot again, and drank some more firewhisky for something to do. As he drank, he thought of Mad-Eye. Mad-Eye had always been scathing about Dumbledore's willingness to trust people.**

**"Well said, Harry," said Fred unexpectedly.**

"Indeed, Harry Potter!" exclaimed Fred jokingly.

**"Yeah, 'ear, 'ear," said George, with half a glance at Fred, the corner of whose mouth twitched.**

Fred hugged George closer, and smiled sadly as George's ear met his cheek.

**Lupin was wearing an odd expression as he looked at Harry. It was close to pitying.**

**"You think I'm a fool?" demanded Harry.**

**"No, I think you're like James," said Lupin, "who would have regarded it as the height of dishonour to mistrust his friends."**

"It is!" cried Sirius, obviously incredulous. Harry looked at Remus, hurt that the werewolf would use something like that against him.

" What is wrong with me?" asked Remus disbelievingly. "I'm so sorry, Harry."

**Harry knew what Lupin was getting at: that his father had been betrayed by his friend Peter Pettigrew.**

**He felt irrationally angry. He wanted to argue, but Lupin had turned away from him, set down his glass upon a side table, and addressed Bill, "There's work to do. I can ask Kingsley whether –"**

**"No," said Bill at once, "I'll do it, I'll come."**

**"Where are you going?" said Tonks and Fleur together.**

**"Mad-Eye's body," said Lupin. "We need to recover it."**

**"Can't it - ?" began Mrs. Weasley with an appealing look at Bill.**

**"Wait?" said Bill, "Not unless you'd rather the Death Eaters took it?"**

Everyone shook his head.

**Nobody spoke. Lupin and Bill said goodbye and left.**

**The rest of them now dropped into chairs, all except for Harry, who remained standing. The suddenness and completeness of death was with them like a presence.**

**"I've got to go too," said Harry.**

**Ten pairs of startled eyes looked at him.**

**"Don't be silly, Harry," said Mrs. Weasley, "What are you talking about?"**

"Exactly!" Minerva cried indignantly.

"I can't stay here."

**He rubbed his forehead; it was prickling again, it had not hurt like this for more than a year.**

Kingsley looked at the scar warily.

"You're all in danger while I'm here. I don't want –"

"All you do is blame yourself for things!" Ron huffed exasperatedly.

Harry raised his hands in defeat but avoided his eyes.

"It's not your fault, you little scrawny prat." Said Fred nudging Harry, but his voice was dead serious.

**"But don't be so silly!" said Mrs. Weasley. "The whole point of tonight was to get you here safely, and thank goodness it worked. And Fleur's agreed to get married here rather than in France, we've arranged everything so that we can all stay together and look after you –"**

**She did not understand; she was making him feel worse, not better.**

"That's what she's trying to do," said Sirius darkly; he was experienced with guilt traps, mostly from his mother. He fought the urge to glare at the blushing Mrs. Weasley.

**"If Voldemort finds out I'm here –"**

**"But why should he?" asked Mrs. Weasley.**

**"There are a dozen places you might be now, Harry," said Mr. Weasley. "He's got no way of knowing which safe house you're in."**

**"It's not me I'm worried for!" said Harry.**

**"We know that," said Mr. Weasley quietly, "but it would make our efforts tonight seem rather pointless if you left."**

Albus, who pretty much had stayed deadly silent, only nodded.

**"Yer not goin' anywhere," growled Hagrid. "Blimey, Harry, after all we wen' through ter get you here?"**

Harry looked down.

**"Yeah, what about my bleeding ear?" said George, hoisting himself up on his cushions.**

Harry bit his lip, feeling truly hurt by their words.

**"I know that –"**

**"Mad-Eye wouldn't want –"**

**"I KNOW!" Harry bellowed.**

**He felt beleaguered and blackmailed:**

Mrs. Molly and George looked guiltily at him.

**did they think he did not know what they had done for him, didn't they understand that it was for precisely that reason that he wanted to go now, before they had to suffer any more on his behalf?**

**There was a long and awkward silence in which his scar continued to prickle and throb, and which was broken at last by Mrs. Weasley.**

**"Where's Hedwig, Harry?" she said coaxingly. "We can put her up with Pidwidgeon and give her something to eat."**

Mrs. Weasley only hid her face behind her hands.

**His insides clenched like a fist. He could not tell her the truth. He drank the last of his firewhiskey to avoid answering.**

**"Wait till it gets out yeh did it again, Harry," said Hagrid. "Escaped him, fought him off when he was right on top of yeh!"**

**"It wasn't me," said Harry flatly. "It was my wand. My wand acted of its own accord."**

**After a few moments, Hermione said gently, "But that's impossible, Harry. You mean that you did magic without meaning to; you reacted instinctively."**

Harry frowned.

**"No," said Harry. "The bike was falling, I couldn't have told you where Voldemort was, but my wand spun in my hand and found him and shot a spell at him, and it wasn't even a spell I recognized. I've never made gold flames appear before."**

**"Often," said Mr. Weasley, "when you're in a pressured situation you can produce magic you never dreamed of. Small children often find, before they're trained –"**

Harry just stood, and before anyone could make anything, he went to his room and slammed the door shut. Kingsley stood up but surprisingly Sirius shook his head.

"Let him alone for a while," then he turned to the others, who shifted slightly under his cold gaze, "You should try to cheer him up and comfort him, but instead of that, you are making him feel _bad._ Do you have any idea how much it affects him? I can't believe you." He finished and nuzzled Severus hair, who had recoiled since they discovered who cursed George's ear off.

Mr. Weasley averted his eyes and Hermione sniffed.

**"It wasn't like that," said Harry through gritted teeth. His scar was burning.**

**He felt angry and frustrated; he hated the idea that they were all imagining him to have power to match Voldemort's.**

**No one said anything. He knew that they did not believe him. Now that he came to think of it, he had never heard of a wand performing magic on its own before.**

Albus have heard of it, but it was such a hard and rare thing that the mechanics of it were blurry, therefore, more difficult to describe.

**His scar seared with pain, it was all he could do not to moan aloud. Muttering about fresh air, he set down his glass and left the room.**

Charlie rubbed his forehead, an imaginary pain over his right eye.

**As he crossed the yard, the great skeletal Thestral looked up, rustled its enormous batlike wings, then resumed its grazing. Harry stopped at the gate into the garden, staring out at its overgrown plants, rubbing his pounding forehead and thinking of Dumbledore.**

**Dumbledore would have believed him, he knew it. Dumbledore would have known how and why Harry's wand had acted independently, because Dumbledore always had the answers; he had known about wands, had explained to Harry the strange connection that existed between his wand and Voldemort's . . . . But Dumbledore, like Mad-Eye, like Sirius, like his parents, like his poor owl, all were gone where Harry could never talk to them again.**

**The three that were mentioned looked sad, even Moody, even if it was a little.**

He felt a burning in his throat that had nothing to do with firewhisky. . . .

**And then, out of nowhere, the pain in his scar peaked. As he clutched his forehead and closed his eyes, a voice screamed inside his head.**

"_**You told me the problem would be solved by using another's wand**_!"

Sirius and Kingsley jumped in concern, their hands itching to go to Harry and soothe a pain he hasn't felt yet.

**And into his mind burst the vision of an emaciated old man lying in rags upon a stone floor, screaming, a horrible drawn-out scream, a scream of unendurable agony. . . .**

**"No! No! I beg you, I beg you. . . ."**

**"You lied to Lord Voldemort, Ollivander!"**

**"I did not. . . . I swear I did not. . . ."**

**"You sought to help Potter, to help him escape me!"**

**"I swear I did not. . . . I believed a different wand would work. . . ."**

**"Explain, then, what happened. Lucius's wand is destroyed!"**

**"I cannot understand. . . . The connection . . . exists only . . between your two wands. . . ."**

**"_Lies_!"**

**"Please . . . I beg you. . . ."**

**And Harry saw the white hand raise its wand and felt Voldemort's surge of vicious anger, saw the frail old main on the floor writhe in agony –**

"He's having visions again?" asked Hermione, deeply concerned, and Severus blushed, ashamed of his attitude towards Harry in his fifth year.

"What do you mean by again?" asked Sirius, but no one answered him.

**"Harry?"**

**It was over as quickly as it had come: Harry stood shaking in the darkness, clutching the gate into the garden, his heart racing, his scar still tingling. It was several moments before he realized that Ron and Hermione were at his side.**

**"Harry, come back in the house," Hermione whispered, "You aren't still thinking of leaving?"**

**"Yeah, you've got to stay, mate," said Ron, thumping Harry on the back.**

**"Are you all right?" Hermione asked, close enough now to look into Harry's face. "You look awful!"**

**"Well," said Harry shakily, "I probably look better than Ollivander. . . ."**

**When he had finished telling them what he had seen, Ron looked appalled, but Hermione downright terrified.**

**"But it was supposed to have stopped! Your scar – it wasn't supposed to do this anymore! You mustn't let that connection open up again – Dumbledore wanted you to close your mind!"**

**When he did not reply, she gripped his arm.**

**"Harry, he's taking over the Ministry and the newspapers and half the Wizarding world! Don't let him inside your head too!"**

"That's it. Who will read next?" said Bill.

"I will," offered Fred.

"I'll go to talk to Harry," said Sirius before vanishing into one of the bedrooms.

-o-o-o-o-o-o

Okay, it's been... what? Two months? I can't express how sorry I am, but these weeks have been the worst for me.

We found out that my father has cancer, and while I have not a good relationship, seeing him after the treatments it's one of the hardest things ever. My mom hasn't slept in days and she is eating less. Her depressive attitude is killing me.

Also on March I started classes, and this is my senior year, so since day one I have been swimming in homework and projects, and I have these bags under my eyes… and on top of it, my "best friends" are mad at me and are not even sparing a glance, so I'm pretty much on my own. The psychologist isn't helping a lot and I'm fighting against stress, depression and lonliness. I have hopes that it'll get better though.

Anyway I hope that I have some readers out there, because this story makes me feel better. You don't have _idea_ of how much I have to seek for shelter in here.

I'll stop bothering you with my problems so I hope you liked the chapter! Review if you want and I'll update as fast as I can.

Kisses~


End file.
